Rare Met.
(2022) 41(1):218–225
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-018-1103-1
Mechanism of yttrium in deep desulfurization of NiCoCrAlY alloy
during vacuum induction melting process
Jin-Peng Li, Hua-Rui Zhang* , Ming Gao, Qing-Ling Li, Jie Zhang,
Bo Yang, Hu Zhang
Received: 21 October 2017 / Revised: 12 March 2018 / Accepted: 16 June 2018 / Published online: 24 August 2018
Ó The Nonferrous Metals Society of China and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018
Abstract In this study, yttrium as desulfurizer on the
purification of Ni–20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y alloy during vac-
uum induction melting (VIM) process using Y2O3 cru-
cibles was investigated experimentally. It is found that Y
plays an important role on the desulfurizing of the NiCo-
CrAlY alloy. Without any addition of Y, merely the
employment of Y2O3 crucibles could effectively reduce S
content of the alloy melts from 28 9 10-6 to 6 9 10-6–
7 9 10-6. With addition of 0.8 wt% Y in the alloy, the
concentration of S could further reduce 2 9 10-6–
3 9 10-6. The primary interactive mechanism between Y
and molten alloy was concluded to be the synthesis reac-
tion of Ni3Y phase, Y2S3 phases and YAlO3 phase. In the
desulfurize slags, Y2S3 phases and YAlO3 phase are found.
No secondary contamination is present in the alloy melts
after addition of Y.
Keywords Yttrium; Desulfurization; Vacuum induction
melting; Y2O3 crucibles; NiCoCrAlY alloy
1 Introduction
MCrAlY (M = Ni and/or Co) alloys are widely used as
overlays or bond coats for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs)
to protect gas turbine blades and other hot components
J.-P. Li, H.-R. Zhang*, M. Gao, Q.-L. Li, J. Zhang, H. Zhang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang
University, Beijing 100191, China
e-mail: huarui@buaa.edu.cn
H.-R. Zhang, M. Gao, B. Yang, H. Zhang
Beijing Key Laboratory for Advanced Functional Material and
Thin Film Technology, Beihang University, Beijing 100191,
China
123
RARE METALS
www.editorialmanager.com/rmet
against high-temperature oxidation and hot corrosion
[1–3]. MCrAlY alloys contain Al and Cr at concentrations
so that continuous scales of Al2O3 and Cr2O3 are formed
on alloys during oxidation [4]. Y is present in the MCrAlY
alloys to improve the adherence of Al2O3 scales to these
coatings. The adherence of the protective oxide scale to the
base metal (Ni-based alloys) is crucial to oxidation resis-
tance of the components with TBCs [5–7].
According to previous studies [8, 9], S is one of the most
harmful impurities in Ni-based superalloys. It usually
segregates to the oxide–alloy interfaces and weakens the
interfacial adhesive bonds between the oxide and Ni-based
alloys. Moreover, S can interact with Ni-based alloy
components to form nonmetallic inclusions as sulfides,
which are stress concentrators and initiate cracking during
operation [10]. As reported by Sun et al. [11], S has a low
solubility in Ni and easily forms a low melting point
eutectic phase along grain boundaries and interfaces,
leading to degrade the mechanical properties of the alloys
at high temperature. As shown by Dong et al. [12], when S
content increased from 15 9 10-6 to 50 9 10-6, the
elongation of the Inconel 718 alloy decreased from 10% to
5%, and when S content increased from 56 9 10-6 to
175 9 10-6, the durable life was reduced by 68%.
Therefore, to achieve high and stable properties of nickel-
based superalloys, the content of S in alloy matrix must be
lower than 0.001 wt%.
In order to remove S from the alloys during melting,
electroslag remelting (ESR) technique is usually applied
after the process of vacuum induction melting (VIM) and/
or vacuum arc remelting (VAR) [13–15]. As reported by
Chen et al. [14], the S content of GH4169 alloy could be
reduced from 18 9 10-6 to 6 9 10-6 when various mix-
tures within the slag-making system of 60CaF2–20CaO–
20Al2O3 were used during the process of VIM ? ESR.
Mechanism of yttrium in deep desulfurization of NiCoCrAlY alloy
However, these slagging practices of desulfurization could
adversely affect the lifetime of the oxidic refractory lining
due to the high oxygen affinity of Ca and Mg [16–18].
Furthermore, the efficiency of these practices was compa-
rably low because of the long production cycle and the high
energy consumption. In consideration of the aforemen-
tioned disadvantages of the ESR, many researchers [19–22]
attempted to merely choose different slag compositions and
additives to remove S in alloys during VIM process.
In Li et al.’s work [21], the effect of Ce on the desul-
furization of Ni–Cr alloy was studied during VIM process
using MgO crucibles. The results showed that the addition
of 0.14 wt% Ce reduced the S content from 32 9 10-6 to
11 9 10-6. As reported by Sidorov et al. [22], the S con-
tent in the ZhS32-VI alloy decreased from 20 9 10-6 to
5 9 10-6, based on the combined addition of slagging
materials of 0.3 wt% Ca, Mg and Y during VIM using
MgO crucibles. However, a crucial negative problem was
revealed when adding RE into the superalloy melts. Under
the high-temperature and long-time condition of melting,
RE and other active elements in the melt seriously reacted
with the traditional crucible materials, such as MgO, CaO.
Those products including sulfides deposited on the crucible
inwalls and might contaminate subsequent melts [23, 24].
Previous work showed that the Y2O3 materials with
higher chemical stability than traditional crucible materials
had the potential to reduce the alloy–crucible interface
reaction, which has been successfully used as an ideal
crucible for smelting superalloys containing Al, Ti, Hf, etc.
[25–27]. The latest works further showed that S content
could be reduced when VIM of MCrAlY alloys using Y2O3
crucibles and Y was conducive to the purification of the
molten alloys. However, the influence of Y on the deep
desulfurization of the alloys during VIM process remains
unclear. In this study, the mechanism of Y2O3 crucibles
and various amounts of Y addition on the deep desulfur-
ization of Ni–20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y alloy using VIM
method was studied. The interactive mechanisms between
Y and alloy melt during the process were also discussed.
2 Experimental
2.1 Materials
The designated chemical compositions of Ni–20Co–20Cr–
10Al–Y alloy (wt%) with three different amounts of Y
addition (marked as Y00, Y08 and Y15) are shown in
Table 1. The original contents of S and O in the raw
materials were calculated to be * 28 9 10-6
-6
and * 111 9 10 according to the element ratios of
alloys and the measured values of S and O in each alloying
elements.
Rare Met. (2022) 41(1):218–225
219
Table 1 Designated composition of Ni–20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y alloy
with three different additions of Y (wt%)
Alloys Ni Co Cr Al Y
Y00 Bal. 20 20 10 0
Y08 Bal. 20 20 10 0.8
Y15 Bal. 20 20 10 1.5
2.2 Experimental process
The alloys were melted in a 100KW ZG125C vacuum
induction furnace equipped with high-purity Y2O3 cru-
cibles (99.9%). Before melting, the chamber was evacuated
down to vacuum degree of 3.5 9 10-3 Pa and backfilled
with pure argon (O2 \ 10 9 10-6; N2 \ 50 9 10-6;
H2 \ 5910-6; CH4 \ 4910-6) up to 0.05 MPa three
times to reduce the O content to a minimum level and to
avoid the evaporation of alloy components. The super-
heating temperatures of the VIM process were designated
to be 1550, 1600 and 1700 °C, respectively. Then the
alloys were poured into a graphite mold with a diameter of
70–90 mm and a ceramic filter on the gate, and the pouring
temperature was 1550 °C.
In order to investigate the possible interactive mecha-
nism between the addition Y and alloy melts, the samples
of the slags were collected from different locations of the
remained alloy liquid-solidified on the surface of the filter.
The metallographic specimens for characterization were
collected from the bottom of the as-cast ingots as well as
the samples for chemical analysis.
2.3 Samples analysis
The content of O in alloy was determined by inert gas
fusion-infrared absorption method according to GB/T
11261-2006, using LECOONH8366 analyzers with an
accuracy of ± 1910-6. S content was determined by
combustion-infrared absorption method according to GB/
T20123-2006, using Plasma1000 analyzers with an accu-
racy of ± 0.5 9 10-6. The prepared samples were fed into
specific crucibles and directly heated to the given tem-
perature. The oxygen and sulfur in the sample were pre-
cipitated by carbon monoxide (or carbon dioxide) and
sulfur dioxide, guided to the infrared detector for deter-
mination. Yttrium was analyzed by dissolving samples and
comparing the solutions with known standards. The solu-
tions were compared in a plasma flame emission spec-
trometer with an accuracy of ± 5910-6. The other major
elements were analyzed, using standard X-ray fluorescence
(XRF, SPECTRO XEPOS) techniques. The chemical
analysis presented here corresponds to the total content,
123
220
which includes both the amount of dissolved impurities and
the impurities present in solid inclusions.
Phase analysis was carried out by micro-area X-ray
diffraction (XRD, D/MAX-2500). Microstructure of the
specimens was observed by scanning electron microscope
(SEM, Nova NanoSEM 450) and transmission electron
microscope (TEM, JEM-2100) equipped with an energy-
dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).
3 Results and discussion
3.1 Analysis of S content
Figure 1 shows the effect of Y addition on S content in the
alloy matrix under different refining temperatures. It can be
seen that the use of Y2O3 crucibles in VIM could effec-
tively reduce S content of the alloy melts from 28 9 10-6
to 6 9 10-6–7 9 10-6, and it is lower than that in Ref.
[21] (11 9 10-6). S content further decreases to
2 9 10-6–3 9 10-6 when Y addition increases from
0 wt% to 0.8 wt% and it is lower than that in Ref. [22]
(5 9 10-6). However, S content does not continue to
decrease but increases to 5 9 10-6–6 9 10-6 when Y
addition increases from 0.8 wt% to 1.5 wt%.
3.2 Component analysis of slags
Figure 2 shows the surface morphologies and micro-XRD
results of the molten slags from alloys. It can be seen that
Y2S3 phase exists in the white stripe area in the slags of
Y00 alloy (Fig. 2a). Those small granular compounds with
a sharp triangular or pyramidal shape are also Y2S3 phases
and the size is small, only 0.5 lm in Y08 alloy (Fig. 2b).
At the same time, YAlO3 phases are the larger inclusions in
the form of granules in the Y08 alloy (Fig. 2c). However, it
Fig. 1 Variation of S content as a function of refining temperatures
and Y addition
123
J.-P. Li et al.
is the blocky accumulation region in Y15 alloy (Fig. 2d). It
illustrates that the aggregation state of Y2S3 and YAlO3 in
the molten slags is different under different Y additions.
3.3 Microstructure of alloys
Figure 3 shows the microstructure and XRD results of the
Ni–20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y as-cast alloy with different Y
additions under different refining temperatures. There are
two different areas in Y00 alloy, the black contrast area and
the gray contrast area (Fig. 3a, d, g). XRD results in Fig. 3j
show that there are three phases, i.e., c phase (fcc, struc-
tural matrix phase), c0 phase (Ni3Al) and Al14Co3Ni3
phase. For Y08 and Y15 alloys, a new phase with main
composition elements of Ni and Y appears (Fig. 3b, c, e, f,
h, i) and it is identified as Ni3Y by XRD patterns in Fig. 3k,
l. It can be seen that Y can change the distribution of
Al14Co3Ni3 phase and the morphology of Al14Co3Ni3
phase changes from massive or thin rod to ellipsoidal after
adding Y at 1600 °C (Fig. 3d–f). And the number of Ni3Y
at c/c0 eutectic phase matrix increases with the Y addition
increasing.
Figure 4 shows Y-rich phases observed in a TEM
extraction replica from Y08 alloy. TEM results also show
that there is a common phase (white area in Fig. 3f) in
alloy Y08. When the addition of Y increases to 0.8 wt%,
the selected area diffraction patterns (SADPs) of [0001]
 zone axis of the phase of a white area (Fig. 4b,
and ½0223
c) are obtained. It is identified as Ni3Y which has a fcc
structure. Those results also show that it is mainly Ni3Y
phase and there are multi-phase regions consisting of two
phases (Fig. 4a), namely Ni3Y phase and Al14Co3Ni3
phase. TEM observation reveals that the morphology of
Ni3Y with the grain size of 0.2–0.8 lm is sharp angle sheet
shape, sheet or bulk shape, and Al14Co3Ni3 is needle-like
or tubular shape distributed around Ni3Y. More impor-
tantly, Y2S3 or other S-rich phases are not found in the
grains or grain boundaries.
3.4 Effects on desulfurization
The process of deoxidation and desulfurization of Ni–
20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y alloy can be divided into three stages:
first, the rapid deoxidation and desulfurization under high
temperature, high vacuum and electromagnetic stirring in
the initial stage of melting; second, the stable deoxidation
by Al and desulfurization by Y2O3 crucible in the late stage
of melting; and third, the deep desulfurization by Y in the
stage of refining. By using the Y2O3 crucibles, S content of
alloy melts without Y addition could reduce to 6 9 10-6–
7 9 10-6. Adding 0.8 wt% Y can further reduce the con-
tent of trace S to 2 9 10-6–3 9 10-6 in the alloys.
Rare Met. (2022) 41(1):218–225
Mechanism of yttrium in deep desulfurization of NiCoCrAlY alloy
Fig. 2 SEM images of surface morphologies (a Y00 alloy, b, c Y08 alloy and d Y15 alloy) and micro-XRD patterns of untreated slags at
1600 °C (e Y00 alloy and Y08 alloy; f Y08 and Y15 alloy)
However, when the adding amount increases to 1.5 wt%,
the alloy with 5 9 10-6–6 9 10-6 S is obtained.
Since Y2O3 crucible was used to melt Ni–20Co–20Cr–
10Al–Y alloy at a high temperature, Y in the crucible may
be diffused into the melted alloy. After refining, the
residual Y of Y00 alloy is 15 9 10-6 (1550 °C),
36 9 10-6 (1600 °C) and 57 9 10-6 (1700 °C), respec-
tively, as shown in Table 2.
The rare earth elements are a strong oxide and sulfide-
forming element due to their low free energies of forma-
tion. Ni–20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y alloy in high-temperature
Rare Met. (2022) 41(1):218–225
221
molten state is a complex system of multi-phase and multi-
component; among all the possible compounds, Y2O3,
Y2O2S and sulfides of the form YS and Y2S3 possess the
lowest free energy of formation and are the most probable
compounds that will form when Y is added to alloys
containing S and O [28, 30]. Du et al. [28] and Wilson et al.
[29] studied the phase equilibria of Ni–Y–S–O solutions at
1600 °C and provided the basis for predicting the sequence
and type of yttrium equilibrium phases formed in nickel-
based solutions. According to their works, the existence
condition of three rare earth compounds is obtained
123
222 J.-P. Li et al.

Fig. 3 SEM images (a 1550 °C, Y00; b 1550 °C, Y08; c 1550 °C, Y15; d 1600 °C, Y00; e 1600 °C, Y08; f 1600 °C, Y15; g 1700 °C, Y00;
h 1700 °C, Y08; i 1700 °C, Y15) and micro-XRD patterns of alloy matrix: j Y00 alloy, k Y08 alloy and l Y15 alloy at temperatures of 1550,
1600 and 1700 °C

(Fig. 5) and the compound that will form first will depend
on the relative O and S concentration present in the alloys.
Those points on the two lines indicate the coexistence of
the two substances. It can be seen that at high oxygen level
Y2O3 will form first until O decreases to a level at which
Y2O2S will form followed by Y2S3. Y2O3 and Y2O2S exist
in a wide range, and Y2S3 exists in a narrower range. Single
rare earth oxides and rare earth sulfides are less common.
Under the experimental conditions, 10 wt% Al was
added for alloying and Al is conducive to the depth of
deoxidation (O content is very low before adding Y).
According to Table 2, the O-to-S content ratio is smaller
than 10, so O-to-S content ratio exists in the region where
Y2S3 exists (Fig. 5). That is to say, when Y is added, it
reacts with the trace amount of S in the alloys to form
Y2S3. Interfacial tension between Y2S3 particles and

123 Rare Met. (2022) 41(1):218–225

Mechanism of yttrium in deep desulfurization of NiCoCrAlY alloy 223

Fig. 4 TEM images of precipitates in Y08 alloy at 1600 °C: a morphology of Ni3Y phase, b SADP of Ni3Y [0001] phase and c SADP of Ni3Y
 phase
½0223

Table 2 Chemical analysis of Y, Al and O residue as a function of addition to alloys

Alloys Y content/wt% Al content/wt% O residue/wt% O/S ratio
Addition Residue Addition Residue

1550 °C
Y00 0 0.0015 10 9.89 0.0013 2.17
Y08 0.8 0.6600 10 9.81 0.0014 7.00
Y15 1.5 1.3500 10 9.78 0.0014 2.80
1600 °C
Y00 0 0.0036 10 9.63 0.0006 0.86
Y08 0.8 0.6400 10 9.59 0.0006 2.00
Y15 1.5 1.2400 10 9.52 0.0005 0.83
1700 °C
Y00 0 0.0057 10 9.76 0.0006 1.00
Y08 0.8 0.6800 10 9.79 0.0006 2.00
Y15 1.5 1.2600 10 9.73 0.0006 1.20

superalloys melt is large, and the density of Y2S3 is low
(3.869 gcm-3), which is easy to float. The formation of Y
compounds in these alloys is substantiated by SEM and
XRD analysis of samples observed after casting.
In the process of deep desulfurization, almost all Y2S3
go to the surface of alloy liquid in the form of slags, and
Y2S3 or other S-rich phases are not found in the grains or
grain boundaries. Therefore, when Y2O3 crucibles were
used to refine alloys with different amounts of Y addition,
there are no S-rich phases inside the alloys, which will not
cause secondary pollution to the alloys. The rare earth
elements could modify alumina into RE aluminates
[30, 31]. Figure 6 shows the desulfurization process of
alloy melts with Y refining. When O content of the Al-
killed special alloys is at low levels, Y added to the alloys
can not only react with Ni and S to form Ni3Y and Y2S3,
but also restore Al2O3 into YAlO3.
As shown in Fig. 7, the residue ratio of Y to Al in alloys
increases from 0.065 to 0.138 (1600 °C), which is con-
ducive to promoting the reaction to proceed forward,
resulting in a large number of YAlO3. Because of the low
hardness and high expansion coefficient of YAlO3, the slag
absorption ability of alumina inclusion is promoted, and
some sulfides and oxides tend to congregate around YAlO3.
At this point, these oxides and sulfides are generated during
the first and second stages, not the third stage (deep
desulfurization stage). After the first and second stages,
only 13 9 10-6 O and 6 9 10-6 S remain in Y15 alloy

Rare Met. (2022) 41(1):218–225 123

224
Fig. 5 Phase field for most probable oxide, oxysulfide and sulfide in
nickel liquid
Fig. 6 Schematic diagram of desulfurization process of alloy melts
with Y refining
Fig. 7 Residue ratio of Y and Al under different conditions
(1550 °C) and Y reacts with S to form traces of Y2S3 phase
and a large amount of YAlO3 phase, which form a layer of
slag film on the melt surface and block the Y2S3 phase
from floating up to the melt surface. When pouring, the
ceramic filter can only filter out the larger scum produced
in the first and second stages and cannot filter out the
123
J.-P. Li et al.
smaller Y2S3 phase generated in the third stage, and it
cannot play the role of deep desulfurization.
In general, Y added to the Ni–20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y alloy
is first dissolved in the solid solution. When the amount of
Y addition exceeds the solid solubility of nickel-based
alloys, Y will appear in the form of Y-rich precipitates. Y
reacts with Ni to form Ni3Y which has a remarkable
influence on the driving force of Al14Co3Ni3 phase growth,
and it can change the morphology of Al14Co3Ni3 phase. Y
reacts with S to form Y2S3 and reacts with Al2O3 to form
YAlO3, which go to the surface of the melt in the form of
slags, thus playing an important role in deep
desulfurization.
4 Conclusion
In this study, the effects of deep desulfurization of Y were
studied for Ni–20Co–20Cr–10Al–Y alloy during VIM
process. The corresponding mechanisms were also dis-
cussed. Experimental results show that, by using Y2O3
crucibles, S content of alloy melts without Y addition could
reduce from 28 9 10-6 to 6 9 10-6–7 9 10-6. When
adding 0.8 wt% Y, the S content of alloys could further
reduce 2 9 10-6–3 9 10-6. When the adding amount
increases to 1.5 wt%, the S content of the alloy increases to
5 9 10-6–6 9 10-6 S. The primary interactive mechanism
between Y and molten alloy was concluded to be the
synthesis reaction of Ni3Y, Y2S3 and YAlO3 phase. Ni3Y
phases have a remarkable influence on the driving force of
Al14Co3Ni3 phase growth. Y2S3 and YAlO3 phases play an
important role in deep desulfurization.
Acknowledgements This study was financially supported by the
National Science & Technology Pillar Program of China (No.
2013BAB11B04) and the National Natural Science Foundation of
China (No. 51404017). Furthermore, the authors wish to express their
appreciation to the State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metal-
lurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology.
References
[1] Li SL, Qi HY, Yang XG. Oxidation-induced damage of an
uncoated and coated nickel-based superalloy under simulated
gas environment. Rare Met. 2018;37(3):204.
[2] Wang H, Zuo D, Chen G, Sun G, Li X, Cheng X. Hot corrosion
behaviour of low Al NiCoCrAlY cladded coatings reinforced by
nano-particles on a Ni-base super alloy. Corros Sci. 2010;
52(10):3561.
[3] Peng XM, Wu AR, Dong LJ, Tao YR, Gao WG, Zhou XL.
Stability of NiCrAlY coating/titanium alloy system under pure
thermal exposure. Rare Met. 2017;36(8):659.
[4] Chen Y, Zhao X, Bai M, Yang L, Li C, Wang L, Carr JA, Xiao
P. A mechanistic understanding on rumpling of a NiCoCrAlY
bond coat for thermal barrier coating applications. Acta Mater.
2017;128:31.
Rare Met. (2022) 41(1):218–225
Mechanism of yttrium in deep desulfurization of NiCoCrAlY alloy
[5] Ma JQ, Zhong F, Li SS, Sha JB. Microstructure and grain
boundary morphology evolution of a novel Co–9Al–9W–2Ta–
0.02B alloy doped with yttrium. Rare Met. 2017;36(12):951.
[6] Cao JD, Zhang JS, Hua YQ, Chen RF, Ye YX. High temperature
oxidation behavior of Ni-based superalloy GH586 in air. Rare
Met. 2017;118(11):878.
[7] Zhou XF, Chen G, Feng YY, Qi ZX, Wang MZ, Li P, Cheng JL.
Isothermal oxidation behavior of a new Re-free nickel-based
single-crystal superalloy at 950 °C. Rare Met. 2017;36(8):617.
[8] Smialek JL, Tubbs BK. Effect of sulfur removal on scale
adhesion to PWA 1480. Metall Mater Trans A. 1995;26(2):427.
[9] Briant CL, Luthra KL. Surface segregation in MCrAlY alloys.
Mater Trans A. 1988;19(8):2099.
[10] Dong JX, Xie XS, Thompson RG. The influence of sulfur on
stress-rupture fracture in inconel 718 superalloys. Mater Trans
A. 2000;31(9):2135.
[11] Sun C, Huang RF, Guo JT, Hu ZQ. Sulphur distribution in K24
cast nickel-base superalloy and its influence on mechanical
properties. High Temp Technol. 1988;6(3):145.
[12] Dong JX, Liu XB, Tang B, Hu YH, Xu ZC, Xie XS. Effect of S
on mechanical properties and microstructure of Inconel 718
superalloy. Acta Metall Sin. 1996;29(3):241.
[13] Siddall RJ. Comparison of the attributes of VIM ? ESR and
VIM ? VAR alloy 718. Superalloys. 1991;1991(24):29.
[14] Chen XC, Wang F, Shi CB, Ren H, Feng D. Effect of electroslag
remelting process on desulphurization of GH4169. J Iron Steel
Res. 2012;24(12):11.
[15] Morscheiser J, Thönessen L, Gehrmann B, Friedrich B. The
influence of the slag composition on the desulphurization of
nickel-based superalloys. Metall Mater Trans B. 2011;22(4):89.
[16] Paton BE, Saenko VY, Pomarin YM, Medovar LB, Grigorenko
GM, Fedorovskii BB, Petrenko VL, Chernets AV. Arc slag
remelting for high strength steel & various alloys. J Mater Sci.
2004;39(24):7269.
[17] Cho SW, Suito H. Calcium deoxidation and nitrogen distribution
in liquid nickel equilibrated with CaO–Al2O3 slags. Mater Trans
B. 1995;26(2):249.
[18] Dong YW, Jiang ZH, Cao YL, Yu A, Hou D. Effect of slag on
inclusions during electroslag remelting process of die steel.
Mater Trans B. 2014;45(4):1315.
[19] Sidorov V, Min P. Refining a complex nickel alloy to remove a
sulfur impurity during vacuum induction melting: part I. Russ
Metall. 2014;2014(12):982.
Rare Met. (2022) 41(1):218–225
225
[20] Sidorov V, Min P. Refining a complex nickel alloy to remove a
sulfur impurity during vacuum induction melting: part II. Russ
Metall. 2014;2014(12):987.
[21] Li D, Cosandey F, Maurer G, Foote R, Tien J. Understanding the
role of cerium during VIM refining of nickel–chromium and
nickel–iron alloys. J Electron Mater. 1992;21(13):603.
[22] Sidorov V, Rigin V, Min P, Folomeikin YI. Removal of a sulfur
impurity from complex nickel melts in vacuum. Russ Metall.
2015;2015(11):910.
[23] Johnson DR, Chihara K, Inui H, Yamaguchi M. Microstructural
control of TiAl–Mo–B alloys by directional solidification. Acta
Mater. 1998;46(18):6529.
[24] Zhang HR, Tang XX, Zhou L, Gao M, Zhou CG, Zhang H.
Interactions between Ni–44Ti–5Al–2Nb–Mo alloy and oxide
ceramics during directional solidification process. J Mater Sci.
2012;47(17):6451.
[25] Ran C, Zhang HR, Zhang H, Wan BB, Bai P. Effect of open
porosity of Y2O3 ceramic on the apparent contact angles and
interactions between Ti47Al alloys and Y2O3 ceramic. Acta
Metall Sin (Engl Lett). 2017;30(5):456.
[26] Wan B, Zhang H, Ran C, Bai P, Zhang H. High-temperature
wettability and interactions between NbSi-based alloys and
Y2O3 ceramics. Ceram Int. 2018;44(1):32.
[27] Wei YM, Lu ZG, Wu GP, Long XQ. Reaction between
Ti–6Al–4V and Y2O3–SiO2 based face shell for investment
casting. Rare Met. 2016;35(12):901.
[28] Du T, Wang L, Liu A, Wu Y, Zhang Y. Thermodynamics and
phase equilibria for cerium and yttrium in the presence of
oxygen and sulphur in nickel-base solutions. J Alloys Compd.
1993;193(1):38.
[29] Wilson WG, Kay DAR, Vahed A. The use of thermodynamics
and phase equilibria to predict the behavior of the rare earth
elements in steel. JOM. 1974;26(5):14.
[30] Khanna AS, Wasserfuhr C, Quadakkers WJ, Nickel H. Addition
of yttrium, cerium and hafnium to combat the deleterious effect
of sulphur impurity during oxidation of an Ni–Cr–Al alloy.
Mater Sci Eng A. 1989;120(1):185.
[31] Sun KK, Kong YM, Park JH. Effect of Al deoxidation on the
formation behavior of inclusions in Ce-added stainless steel
melts. Metall Mater Int. 2014;20(5):959.
123