Effect of thermal exposure on the microstructure and creep properties of a fourth-generation Ni-based single crystal superalloy

The effect of thermal exposure on microstructure and creep properties of a fourth-generation nickelbased single crystal superalloy was investigated.The thermal exposure of samples after the full heat treatment was carried out at 1000℃,1100℃ and 1140℃ for 100 h and 200 h.The γ’ coarsening,γ’ rafting and γ channel widening were observed in samples after thermal exposure.When the thermal exposure time was constant,the morphology of γ’ phase in the alloy evolved significantly with increasing aging temperature.The interracial dislocation networks in aged samples after creep ruptured gradually became irregular and sparse with the increase of exposure temperature.When the higher exposure temperature was used,enla rgement of the defect pores was observed in samples,the microcracks were more likely to initiate and propagate at the corner of these pores.After aging at 1000℃ for 100 h,the creep life at 1140℃/137 MPa was slightly longer than that of heat-treated sample,which could be attributed to the slightly coarsened γ’ phase,homogenization of refractor elements.In contrast,the creep life of sample exposed at 1140℃ for 100 h was greatly decreased.The decrease of creep life was dominated by the rafting of γ’phase,the irregular interfacial dislocation networks as well as the enlargement of homogenization pores.

Evolution of TCP Phase During Long Term Thermal Exposure in Several Re-Containing Single Crystal Superalloys

The application and component designs of single crystal superalloys are restricted by the precipitation of topologically closed packed(TCP)phases,which can deteriorate the microstructural stability of the alloys severely.Limited researches concerning the type and morphology evolution of TCP phases under elevated temperature conditions have been reported previously.In the present work,three Re-containing single crystal alloys were designed to investigate TCP phase evolution via long term isothermal exposure tests at 1120℃while the effects of Re on the microstructural characteristic and elements segregation were also clarified.The results showed that the addition of Re increased the instability of the alloys and the volume fraction of the TCP phases exceeded 5 vol%when the Re content reached 3 wt%.The increasing Re content had also raised the precipitation temperature of TCP phases but it did not change the type of them after long term aging;all the TCP particles were identified asμphase in this study.Moreover,the elements segregation became considerably serious as Re addition increased constantly,which brought about various morphologies of theμphase in the experimental alloys.In particular,the rod-like and needle-likeμphases demonstrated the typical orientation withinγmatrix while the blockyμphase was dispersedly distributed in the space.No specific orientation relationship could be observed in theμphase when the addition of Re exceeded certain threshold value.