| abstract |
Disclosed herein are molds coated for surface enhancement, methods of making the molds, and methods of casting using such molds. In one embodiment, a mold comprises: a mold member comprising copper; and a coating disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the mold member, wherein the coating has a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 10×10 −6 /° C. to about 16.5×10 −6 /° C. and a Vickers Hardness Number of greater than about 500 and less than about 1200 at a temperature of less than or equal to about 600° C. |