The burning loss of Al and Ti elements in superalloys during electroslag remelting has become a prevalent issue. And the existing slag system is not suitable for smelting the ATI 718PlusTM alloy. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a new slag system for smelting the ATI 718PlusTM alloy. To mitigate this issue, a thermodynamic model of the oxidation reaction of Al and Ti at the slag and alloy interface was established based on the ion and molecule coexistence theory (IMCT). The thermodynamic model was used to investigate the correlation between the equilibrium content of Al and Ti, slag composition, smelting temperature, and initial Al and Ti content of the electrode. The results indicate that while increasing the smelting temperature can effectively inhibit the burning loss of Al, it will exacerbate the burning loss of Ti. Increasing CaO and Al2O3 contents can inhibit the Al burning loss, while an increase in the TiO2 content can inhibit the Ti burning loss. Although an increase in the MgO content results in the burning loss of Al, its impact on the Al is minimal. The burning loss of Al and Ti was not affected by the change in the CaF2 content. The high Al content in ATI 718PlusTM makes it prone to burning loss of Al during the electroslag remelting. The combustion loss of Al can be reduced by increasing the Ti content in the electrode or adding a suitable amount of aluminum powder to the slag system. The accuracy of the model had been validated through experimental verification.
In order to provide guidance for furthering the balance of strength and toughness of AerMet 100 steel through tempering treatment, the effects of the tempering time on microstructure and mechanical properties are investigated. The microstructure evolution, especially M2C precipitates and austenite in AerMet 100 tempered at 482 °C for 1~20 h, was characterized, and its influences on the mechanical properties were studied. The tensile strength decreases gradually, the yield strength increases first and then decreases, and the fracture toughness KIC increases gradually with an increasing tempering time. The strength and toughness matching of AerMet 100 steel is achieved by tempering at 482 °C for 5~7 h. Without considering the martensitic size effect, the influence of the dislocation density on the tensile strength is more significant during tempering at 482 °C. The precipitation strengthening mechanism plays a dominant role in the yield strength when tempering for 5 h or less, and the combined influence of carbide coarsening and a sharp decrease in the dislocation density resulted in a significant decrease in tensile strength when tempering for 8 h or more. The fracture toughness KIC is primarily influenced by the reverted austenite, so that KIC increases gradually with the prolongation of the tempering time. However, a significant decrease in the dislocation density resulting from long-term tempering has a certain impact on KIC, giving rise to a decrease in the rising amplitude in KIC after tempering for 8 h or more.