Abstract:To meet the growing demand for enhanced material properties of aero-engines, the alloying element content of wrought superalloys is increasing, which leads to the difficulty of ingot casting. Excessive addition of alloying elements in superalloys tend to induce cracking under the combined action of thermal stress and phase transformation stress. Once cracks occur, it will not only interfere with the stability of process parameters such as current and voltage in the subsequent remelting process, but also raise scrap rate of the ingot, and exert an irreversible impact on the performance and reliability of the final product. Cracks in ingot, as a complex metallurgical defect during superalloy casting, has become a critical technological bottleneck, restricting the size scaling of high-alloyed superalloy ingots. Then, this paper reviews the recent research progress on the causes of cracking in wrought superalloy ingots during triple-melting processes, as well as various influencing factors in crack formation. Corresponding inhibition measures are also proposed for different cracking causes. The research direction of ingot cracking is prospected, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and technical reference for producing defect-free superalloy materials.