Functional coatings for titanium casting molds using the replica technique

The quality of titanium cast parts depends not only on the corrosion reaction of the mold in contact with the titanium alloy melt, but also on the dimensional accuracy and the surface quality of the investment casting mold. Usually, the ceramic mold is produced by dip-coating. This contribution investigated the coating properties of green calcium zirconate (CaZrO3) coatings produced by the replica technique. Thus, the effect of different coating slurries as well as different coating technologies on important coating properties was analyzed. In all cases, centrifuging and spraying produced thinner coatings compared to dip-coating. Using an appropriate coating slip, particularly centrifuging revealed a cohesive homogeneous coating surface and is therefore a promising technology for the production of functional coatings for titanium casting molds.