Patent ID: 8466389

Claim:
Superalloy weld wire having low inclusion content manufactured by a process comprising the steps of: casting a molten superalloy having a preselected composition into a mold having at least one ingot cavity in the shape of a rod having a diameter of less than about ½ inch, the superalloy comprising hafnium and having a substantial absence of Zr, Ti and V; directionally solidifying a rod-shaped ingot by feeding an advancing solidification interface with molten metal to eliminate creation of shrinkage cavities and simultaneously causing impurities and inclusions to segregate as slag to the top of an unsolidified ingot, wherein such impurities and inclusions include hafnia, while growing grains into the molten metal parallel to the axial direction of the rod-shaped ingot, the directionally solidified rod-shaped ingot having hafnium with a substantial absence of hafnia; following completion of solidification, removing a portion of the rod-shaped ingot having inclusions and impurities; cutting the rod-shaped ingot into a plurality of preselected lengths; placing a plurality the preselected cut lengths of rod into a container; filling the remaining volume of the container with an inert oxide; capping the container; sealing the capped container; extruding the rod-filled container so as to form wire for welding having a preselected diameter; removing the wire from the container; grinding to remove impurities from the exterior of the wire and to achieve the final preselected diameter.