Casting process and articles for performing same

A method for producing a cast article comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a porous powder article having a relative density of less than about 80 percent;
• b) coating the porous powder article to create a ceramic shell on the porous powder article;
• c) forming a mold having an article-forming cavity in the shape of the coated porous powder article by applying a moldable material around the coated porous powder article so that the coated porous powder article is the pattern for the article-forming cavity of the mold and the coated porous powder article fills the entire article-forming cavity;
• d) pouring a molten metal stream into the article-forming cavity, said molten metal stream extirpating the porous powder article to produce a liquid and/or solid residue, wherein said residue flows with the molten metal stream within the article-forming cavity and the residue-bearing molten metal fills the entire article-forming cavity;
• and
• e) solidifying the residue-bearing molten metal in the article-forming cavity to produce a cast article, wherein said cast article is not an infiltrated porous article;
• wherein, at the start of step (d), the temperature of the mold is lower than the solidus temperature of the molten metal.