Competitive oxidation behavior of Ni-based superalloy GH4738 at extreme temperature

A high thrust-to-weight ratio poses challenges to the high-temperature performance of Ni-based superalloys. The oxidation behavior of GH4738 at extreme temperatures has been investigated by isothermal and non-isothermal experiments. As a result of the competitive diffusion of alloying elements, the oxide scale included an outermost porous oxide layer (OOL), an inner relatively dense oxide layer (IOL), and an internal oxide zone (IOZ), depending on the temperature and time. A high temperature led to the formation of large voids at the IOL/IOZ interface. At 1200℃, the continuity of the Cr-rich oxide layer in the IOL was destroyed, and thus, spallation occurred. Extension of oxidation time contributed to the size of Al-rich oxide particles with the increase in the IOZ. Based on this finding,the oxidation kinetics of GH4738 was discussed, and the corresponding oxidation behavior at 900-1100℃ was predicted.

Additive manufacturing of Ni-based superalloys: Residual stress, mechanisms of crack formation and strategies for crack inhibition

The additive manufacturing(AM)of Ni-based superalloys has attracted extensive interest from both academia and industry due to its unique capabilities to fabricate complex and high-performance components for use in high-end industrial systems.However,the intense temperature gradient induced by the rapid heating and cooling processes of AM can generate high levels of residual stress and metastable chemical and structural states,inevitably leading to severe metallurgical defects in Ni-based superalloys.Cracks are the greatest threat to these materials’integrity as they can rapidly propagate and thereby cause sudden and non-predictable failure.Consequently,there is a need for a deeper understanding of residual stress and cracking mechanisms in additively manufactured Ni-based superalloys and ways to potentially prevent cracking,as this knowledge will enable the wider application of these unique materials.To this end,this paper comprehensively reviews the residual stress and the various mechanisms of crack formation in Ni-based superalloys during AM.In addition,several common methods for inhibiting crack formation are presented to assist the research community to develop methods for the fabrication of crack-free additively manufactured components.

Dual-System Activation of Ni-Base Superalloy under High Strain and High Temperature

Due to their superior combination of heat resistance, high temperature corrosion resistance, toughness and strength, nickel-based superalloys have become of extensive use in the aerospace industry. This research aims to explain why the fatigue life of Inconel-718 in preconditioned samples had larger fatigue lives than pristine samples. The hypothesis is that preconditioning at 700°C and 1.0% strain could lead to thermal activation of the {100} cubic slip plane alongside the {111} octahedral slip plane, potentially improving fatigue life. Using SEM and EBSD imaging, the microstructure of Inconel-718 samples were characterized before and after preconditioning. The directions of the slip bands that formed following the preconditioning were determined. The result was that the existence of both the cubic and octahedral slip systems was confirmed, leading to the thermal activation hypothesized. The existence of both slip planes was considered to be the reason behind the improved fatigue life due to better strain accommodation within the microstructure. It is suggested that focuses for future research includes conducting in-situ observation of slip activation and the application of preconditioning as a manufacturing method.

Characteristics of High Temperature Rupture of a Cast Ni-Based Superalloy M963

The rupture behavior of a cast Ni-base superalloy M963 at high temperature has been investi- gated. The microstructure examination shows that there exists a large amount of the carbide and γ-γ' eutectic, which is very harmful to the mechanical properties of M963 superalloy. The tensile strength of M963 superalloy both at room temperature and at high temperatures is higher than that of K17G alloy, but the tensile ductility of the former is much lower than that of the latter. In tensile fracture process with the high strain rate, the open carbides are the initiation site and the carbide/matrix interface is the propagation path of cracks. But in fracture process with the low strain rate, the carbide/matrix interface and cast microvoids are the initiation sites, and the carbide/matrix interface is the propagation path of cracks. The effective ways to improve ductility of M963 superalloy are also suggested.

Effect of solidification parameters on the microstructures of a single crystal Ni-based superalloy AM3

A single crystal Ni-based superalloy AM3 was processed at withdraw rates of 3.5, 10, 50, 100, 200, and 500 μm·s-1, respectively.The as-cast microstructures and solidification segregation ratio were characterized with various withdraw rates.The shape and size of carbide microstructures were determined.As expected, the primary and secondary dendrite arm spacings (PDAS and SDAS) decrease with the increase of withdraw rate.The highest volume fraction of eutectic γ/γ' is observed at the 100 μm·s-1 withdraw rate.The volume fraction of eutectic γ/γ' does not appear to be a strong function of the withdraw rate.With increasing withdraw rate, interface morphologies change in the sequence of planar, cellular, and dendrite.There is a general refinement of the microstructure as the withdraw rate increases.EPMA analysis showed that withdraw rate does not have obvious influence on the segregation of elements.

Desulphurization during VIM Refining Ni-base Superalloy using CaO Crucible

The variation of S content during VIM refining Ni-base superalloy using CaO crucible was studied. It was foundthat the desulphurization process could not be carried out by only using CaO crucible. The role of Al additionto desulphurization was also studied. Combining with the results of XRD and composition analysis of the CaOcrucible, the mechanism of desulphurization was proposed. Thermodynamical calculation about the reaction betweenthe interface of CaO crucible and liquid metal has been discussed. This work indicated that under proper refiningtechnology the S content in the liquid Ni-base alloy could be reduced from 3×10-5 to 2×10-6~4×10-6.

Optimization of the heat treatment of additively manufactured Ni-base superalloy IN718

Additive manufacturing(AM) of Ni-base superalloy components can lead to a significant reduction of weight in aerospace applications. AM of IN718 by selective laser melting results in a very fine dendritic microstructure with a high dislocation density due to the fast solidification process. The complex phase composition of this alloy, with three different types of precipitates and high residual stresses, necessitates adjustment of the conventional heat treatment for AM parts. To find an optimized heat treatment, the microstructures and mechanical properties of differently solution heat-treated samples were investigated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, including electron backscatter diffraction, and compression tests. After a solution heat treatment(SHT), the Nb-rich Laves phase dissolves and the dislocation density is reduced, which eliminates the dendritic substructure. SHT at 930 or 954°C leads to the precipitation of the δ-phase, which reduces the volume fraction of the strengthening γ′-and γ′′-phases formed during the subsequent two stage aging treatment. With a higher SHT temperature of 1000°C, where no δ-phase is precipitated, higher γ′ and γ′′ volume fractions are achieved, which results in the optimum strength of all of the solution heat treated conditions.

First-principles calculations for the elastic properties of Ni-base model superalloys: Ni/Ni_3Al multilayers

A model system consisting of Ni[001]（100）/Ni3Al[001]（100） multi-layers are studied using the density functional theory in order to explore the elastic properties of single crystal Ni-based superalloys. Simulation results are consistent with the experimental observation that rafted Ni-base superalloys virtually possess a cubic symmetry. The convergence of the elastic properties with respect to the thickness of the multilayers are tested by a series of multilayers from 2γ′＋2γto 10γ′＋10γ atomic layers. The elastic properties are found to vary little with the increase of the multilayer＇s thickness. A Ni/Ni3Al multilayer with 10γ′＋10γ atomic layers （3.54 nm） can be used to simulate the mechanical properties of Ni-base model superalloys. Our calculated elastic constants, bulk modulus, orientation-dependent shear modulus and Young＇s modulus, as well as the Zener anisotropy factor are all compatible with the measured results of Ni-base model superalloys R1 and the advanced commercial superalloys TMS-26, CMSX-4 at a low temperature. The mechanical properties as a function of the γ′ phase volume fraction are calculated by varying the proportion of the γ and γ′ phase in the multilayers. Besides, the mechanical properties of two-phase Ni/Ni3Al multilayer can be well predicted by the Voigt-Reuss-Hill rule of mixtures.

γ'Precipitation in an Oxide Dispersion-Strengthened Ni-Base Superalloy

?precipitate morphology and its dissolution/precipitation kinetics in a special oxiddispersion-strengthened Ni-base superalloy have been investigated. Using an advanced computer programmebased on regression analysis, the volume fraction of γ'and its composition as a function of temperaturewere calculated. The lattice constants of both γ'precipitates nd γ matrix have been compared and theresultant lauice misfit computed. Finally, the concentration of AI remaining in γ matrix was determined.The results show generally good agreements with available data for ordinary superalloys. Cornparison ismade against experimental study by using differential scanning calorimetry.

First principles study of the diffusional phenomena across the clean and Re-doped γ-Ni/γ'-Ni_3Al interface of Ni-based single crystal superalloy

Density functional theory calculations in conjunction with the climbing images nudged elastic band method are conducted to study the diffusion phenomena of the Ni-based single crystal superalloys.We focus our attention on the diffusion processes of the Ni and Al atoms in the γ and γ ’ phases along the direction perpendicular to the interface.The diffusion mechanisms and the expressions of the diffusion coefficients are presented.The vacancy formation energies,the migration energies,and the activation energies for the diffusing Ni and Al atoms are estimated,and these quantities display the expected and clear transition zones in the vicinity of the interface of about 3–7（002） layers.The local density-of-states profiles of atoms in each（002） layer in the γ and γ ’ phases and the partial density-of-states curves of Re and some of its nearest-neighbor atoms are also presented to explore the electronic effect of the diffusion behavior.

Effect of solution cooling rate on the γ′ precipitation behaviors of a Ni-base P/M superalloy

The effect of cooling rate on the cooling γ′ precipitation behaviors was investigated in a Ni-base powder/metallurgy （P/M） superalloy （FGH4096）. The empirical equations were established between the cooling rate and the average sizes of secondary and tertiary γ′ precipitates within grains and tertiary γ′ precipitates at grain boundaries, as well as the apparent width of grain boundaries. The results show that the average sizes of secondary or tertiary γ′ precipitates are inversely correlated with the cooling rate. The shape of secondary γ′ precipitates within grains changes from butterfly-like to spherical with the increase of cooling rate, but all the tertiaryγ′ precipitates formed are spherical in shape. It is also found that tertiary γ′ may be precipitated in the latter part of the cooling cycle only if the cooling rate is not faster than 4.3℃/s, and the apparent width of grain boundaries decreases linearly with the increase of cooling rate.

Influence of thermal exposure on microstructure and stress rupture properties of a new Re-containing single crystal Ni-based superalloy

In this study, the long-term thermal microstructural stability and related stress rupture lives of a new Re-containing Ni-based single-crystal superalloy, DD11, were investigated after high-temperature exposure for different lengths of time. The results show that the γ' precipitates retained a cuboidal morphology and the γ' size increased after short thermal exposure for 50 h at 1,070℃. As the thermal exposure time was prolonged to 500 h, the cuboidal γ' gradually changed into irregular raft-like morphology due to particles coalescence, and the morphology of the microstructure was almost unchanged after further thermal exposure up to 3,000 h. The stress rupture experiments at 1,070℃ and a tensile stress of 140 MPa showed that the rupture lives increased significantly after thermal exposure for 50 h and dropped dramatically with increasing exposure time up to 500 h but decreased slowly after exposure for more than 500 h. These results imply that stress rupture properties did not decrease when the γ' remained cuboidal but degraded to different extents during the γ' coarsening process. The coarsening of the γ' precipitates and change in morphology were regarded as the main factors leading to the degradation of the stress rupture lives. This study provides fundamental information on the high-temperature longterm microstructural stability and mechanical performance, which will be of great help for DD11 alloy optimization and engineering aeroengine applications.

An anisotropic micromechanics model for predicting the rafting direction in Ni-based single crystal superalloys

An anisotropic micromechanics model based on the equivalent inclusion method is developed to investigate the rafting direction of Ni-based single crystal superalloys. The micromechanical model considers actual cubic structure and orthogonal anisotropy properties. The von Mises stress, elastic strain energy density, and hydrostatic pressure in dif- ferent inclusions of micromechanical model are calculated when applying a tensile or compressive loading along the [001] direction. The calculated results can successfully pre- dict the rafting direction for alloys exhibiting a positive or a negative mismatch, which are in agreement with pervious experimental and theoretical studies. Moreover, the elastic constant differences and mismatch degree of the matrix and precipitate phases and their influences on the rafting direction are carefully discussed.

Room temperature tensile deformation behavior of a Ni-based superalloy with high W content

K416B Ni-based superalloy with high W content has good high temperature properties and low cost,which has a great development potential.To investigate the room temperature tensile property and the deformation feature of K416B superalloy,tensile testing at room temperature was carried out,and optical microscopy (OM),scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the deformation and damage mechanisms.Results show that the main room temperature tensile deformation features of the K416B nickel-based superalloy are dislocations slipping in the matrix and shearing into γ’ phase.The <110> super-dislocations shearing into γ’ phase can form the anti-phase boundary two coupled (a/2)<110> partial-dislocations or decompose into the configuration of two (a/3)<112> partial dislocations plus stacking fault.In the later stage of tensile testing,the slip-lines with different orientations are activated in the grain,causing the stress concentration in the regions of block carbide or the porosity,and cracks initiate and propagate along these regions.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Spray Deposited Ni-based Superalloys

Three kinds of superalloys were prepared by spray deposited process. The analysis results of microstructures and mechanical properties indicate that the spray deposited preforms with higher integral densification and the oxygen content in each kind of superalloy was very low. The microstructures are consisted of fine grain without dendritic equi-axed. The spray deposited superalloys possessed good ductility. The forging experiment displays that even though the once deformation of spray deposited GH742 alloy more than 60%, the crack can not be found. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties of spray deposited superalloys are significantly increased.

Phase constitution,microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ni-based superalloy specially designed for additive manufacturing

In this study,a kind of Ni-based superalloy specially designed for additive manufacturing(AM)was investigated.Thermo-Calc simulation and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)analysis were used to determine phases and their transformation temperature.Experimental specimens were prepared by laser metal deposition(LMD)and traditional casting method.Microstructure,phase constitution and mechanical properties of the alloy were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission scanning electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and tensile tests.The results show that this alloy contains two basic phases,γ/γ’,in addition to these phases,at least two secondary phases may be present,such as MC carbides and Laves phases.Furthermore,the as-deposited alloy has finer dendrite,its mean primary dendrite arm space(PDAS)is about 30-45μm,and the average size ofγ’particles is 100-150 nm.However,the dendrite size of the as-cast alloy is much larger and its PDAS is 300-500μm with secondary and even third dendrite arms.Correspondingly,the alloy displays different tensile behavior with different processing methods,and the as-deposited specimen shows better ultimate tensile stress(1,085.7±51.7 MPa),yield stress(697±19.5 MPa)and elongation(25.8%±2.2%)than that of the as-cast specimen.The differences in mechanical properties of the alloy are due to the different morphology and size of dendrites,γ’,and Laves phase,and the segregation of elements,etc.Such important information would be helpful for alloy application as well as new alloy development.

Molecular dynamics study of mosaic structure in the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy

The mosaic structure in a Ni-based single-crystal superalloy is simulated by molecular dynamics using a potential employed in a modified analytic embedded atom method. From the calculated results we find that a closed threedimensional misfit dislocation network, with index of （011）{100} and the side length of the mesh 89.6A, is formed around a cuboidal γ′ precipitate. Comparing the simulation results of the different mosaic models, we find that the side length of the mesh only depends on the lattice parameters of the γ and γ′ phases as well as the γ/γ′ interface direction, but is independent of the size and number of the cuboidal γ′ precipitate. The density of dislocations is inversely proportional to the size of the cuboidal γ′ precipitate, i.e. the amount of the dislocation is proportional to the total area of the γ/γ′ interface, which may be used to explain the relation between the amount of the fine γ′ particles and the creep rupture life of the superalloy. In addition, the closed three-dimensional networks assembled with the misfit dislocations can play a significant role in improving the mechanical properties of superalloys.

Effect of H impurity on misfit dislocation in Ni-based single-crystal superalloy:molecular dynamic simulations

The effect of H impurity on the misfit dislocation in Ni-based single-crystal superalloy is investigated using the molecular dynamic simulation. It includes the site preferences of H impurity in single crystals Ni and Ni3Al, the interaction between H impurity and the misfit dislocation and the effect of H impurity on the moving misfit dislocation. The calculated energies and simulation results show that the misfit dislocation attracts H impurity which is located at the γ/γ′ interface and Ni3Al and H impurity on the glide plane can obstruct the glide of misfit dislocation, which is beneficial to improving the mechanical properties of Ni based superalloys.

The ternary Ni–Al–Co embedded-atom-method potential for γ/γ Ni-based single-crystal superalloys: Construction and application

An Ni-AI-Co system embedded-atom-method potential is constructed for the γ（Ni）/γ＇（Ni3A1） superalloy based on experiments and first-principles calculations. The stacking fault energies （SFEs） of the Ni（Co, A1） random solid solutions are calculated as a function of the concentrations of Co and A1. The calculated SFEs decrease with increasing concentrations of Co and A1, which is consistent with the experimental results. The embedding energy term in the present potential has an important influence on the SFEs of the random solid solutions. The cross-slip processes of a screw dislocation in homogenous Ni（Co） solid solutions are simulated using the present potential and the nudged elastic band method. The cross-slip activation energies increase with increasing Co concentration, which implies that the creep resistance of γ（Ni） may be improved by the addition of Co.

Low-cycle Fatigue Behavior of Ni-based Superalloy GH586 with Laser Shock Processing

Low-cycle fatigue behavior of Ni-based superalloy GH586 with laser shock processing（LSP） was investigated. The residual stress of the specimens treated with LSP was assessed by X-ray diffraction method. The microstructure and fracture morphology were characterized by using an optical microscope（OM）, a scanning electron microscope（SEM）, and a transmission electron microscope（TEM）. The results indicated that the maximum residual compressive stress was at about 1 mm from the shocking spot center, where the residual compressive stress was slightly lower. High density tangling dislocations, dislocation walls, and dislocation cells in the microstructure of the specimens treated with LSP effectively prevented fatigue cracks propagation. The fatigue life was roughly twice as long as that of the specimens without LSP. The fatigue crack initiation（FCI） in specimens treated with LSP was observed in the lateral section and the subsurface simultaneously. The fatigue striation in the fracture treated with LSP was narrower than that in the untreated specimens. Moreover, dimples with tear ridges were found in the fatigued zones of the LSP treated specimens, which would be caused by severe plastic deformation.