The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 30, 2015
Filed:
May. 08, 2013
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Shan Liu, Central, SC (US);
Warren Tan King, Greenville, SC (US);
Srinivasan Raghavan, Bangalore, IN;
Arthur S. Peck, Greenville, SC (US);
Dayananda Narayana, Karnataka, IN;
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A grain starter for use in solidification of molten metallic material forming an article having a directional grain structure and a method for solidifying an article having a directional grain structure with a substantial absence of stray grains. The grain starter comprises a grain-starting material that initiates grain growth in the molten metallic material in a preselected crystallographic direction. The grain-starting material has a melting temperature higher than the metallic material forming the article lest the grain starter be modified by contact with the molten material. The grain starter further includes a feature that modifies heat transfer characteristics of the metallic material in contact with it in order to produce an article having grains oriented in the preselected crystallographic orientation and modifies the profile of the advancing solidification front. The article is substantially free of stray grains not oriented in the preselected crystallographic direction.