Efficient Superalloy Ingot Breakdown

Currently, all the major material suppliers use DEFORM to help understand and design their cogging process. From the perspective of the material suppliers, being able to use the modeling techniques to predict, control and optimize ingot breakdown processes to achieve the desired microstructures has been their top priority. The proposed work focuses on microstructural modeling of IN718 ingot breakdown processes. In the first phase of this SBIR project, we propose to investigate appropriate microstructural models to predict the evolution of grain size and microstructure occurring during the ingot breakdown process. We would also investigate the appropriate kinetics models for recrystallization and grain growth. At the end of the first phase, we would study and propose models for precipitate nucleation, growth and dissolution. In order to achieve an efficient ingot breakdown modeling procedure, we would evaluate domain decomposition methods and special numerical techniques to achieve a substantial increase in computational efficiency. Technical feasibility studies and investigations conducted in the first phase of this project would directly benefit in the development and implementation of microstructural models for IN718 ingot breakdown process.