Single crystal investment cast components and methods of making same

摘要

High performance single crystal investment cast components and methods of making same are described herein. Embodiments comprise systems for producing such components. The systems comprise: an investment molding cavity; a seed crystal starter cavity; a seed crystal for initiating epitaxial crystal growth in molten metallic material that comes into contact therewith; a grain selector operatively connecting the seed crystal starter cavity and the investment molding cavity for at least one of: (1) selecting a single crystal from the seed crystal to grow into the molten metallic material during solidification, or (2) ensuring that a single crystal from the seed crystal continues to grow into the molten metallic material during solidification; and a grain selector support for at least partially supporting the weight of the investment molding cavity and any molten metallic material contained therein to take at least a portion of this weight off the grain selector, wherein the system is capable of producing a single crystal investment cast component. Methods for producing such components are also described.