Papers by Author: Alain Jacques

Abstract: The combination of high temperature (1050°C -1150°C) testing and in situ high energy X-Ray diffraction measurements using synchrotron Three Crystal Diffractometry may give various insights into the mechanical behaviour of superalloys: measurement of the lattice mismatch, order within the ' phase, elastic constants, and dynamic response to changes in the experimental conditions. Several examples are given on the rafted AM1 superalloy, resulting from experiments at the ID15A (ESRF) and BW5 (DESY) high energy beamlines.

Abstract: One of the major ingredients of modelling the mechanical behaviour of superalloys is the knowledge of dislocation densities and strain distribution. Both can be measured using post mortem BF TEM and CBED, but such methods do not allow following their variations during a test. The aim of the present work is to investigate the usefulness of in situ X-Ray Three Crystal Diffractometry (TCD) to measure the density and distribution of dislocations within a rafted superalloy, i.e. during stage II of high temperature creep. As the instrument contribution is very low, the two-peaked experimental profiles are representative of the lattice parameter distribution within the material. The profiles were measured within bulk specimens at the BW5 high energy beamline Hasylab (DESY), during high temperature (1050°C to 1180°C) tests under loads between 0 MPa and 300 MPa. The peak shapes were observed to change with varying experimental conditions. The peak width follows different patterns under low and high stress, i.e. with low and high strain rates. The distribution of elastic strains was calculated by assuming two main contributions: dislocation segments trapped at the γ/γ’ interfaces in a more or less regular network, and dislocations moving within the γ’ rafts. A comparison between experimental and simulated peaks shows that several features of their behaviour can be explained: the absolute magnitude of the peak width, the observed decrease of the peak width under low loads with increasing interfacial dislocation densities. The larger increase in the width of the γ’ peak under high load (and strain rate) may be attributed to a dislocation density within the 1013 m-2 range within the rafts. The present results are presently being cross-checked by post mortem TEM observations.

Abstract: A new bulge test device has been built, with the aim to perform mechanical tests on membranes with a thickness in the 100 nm to 10 µm range, between room temperature and 900°C. The first tests on Si3N4 and gold films give results consistent with literature data.

Abstract: Variations in the lattice parameters of γ and γ' phases perpendicular to the [001] tensile axis were recorded in situ at ~10 minutes intervals using the Triple Axis Diffractometer of the High Energy (ID15) beamline at ESRF. Testing was carried out on an AM1 superalloy specimen with a raft microstructure at high temperature (1072°C) under load steps between 0 MPa and 300 MPa. These data were used to evaluate the Young modulus and the effective (Von Mises) stresses within the γ' rafts and γ corridors, as well the average plastic strain rates of each phase. The recorded stress data scatter was within the MPa range, and should be good enough to probe the elementary mechanisms of plasticity.

Abstract: Grain boundary motion was studied in situ at elevated temperatures by x-ray topography using synchrotron radiation. In addition to the position of grain boundary, other crystal defects that may interact with the moving boundary were observed simultaneously. Two types of bicrystals with the [001] rotation axis were selected for the experiments, the first one with a high coincidence S5 misorientation of about 37° and the other one with no coincidence of two crystals for the misorientation of 45°. The geometrical differences between chosen bicrystals are examined and attention is also paid to faceting – local orientations of the boundary plane.