Papers by Author: Shi Zhong Liu

Abstract: The single crystal superalloy with [001] orientation were prepared by screw selecting method in the directionally solidified furnace. Three different cooling method, water cooling (WC), air cooling (AC) and furnace cooling (FC) were used after same solution treatment. Then these specimens received same two-step aging treatment. Influence of solution cooling method on the microstructure and stress rupture properties of the alloy under the test condition of 980 °C and 300 MPa was investigated. The microstructures of the samples were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the solution cooling method of heat treatment played an important role in the microstructure and stress rupture properties of the alloy. The size of γ′ phase and the width of the γ matrix channel of the alloy increased with decreasing cooling rate. The stress rupture properties of the alloy increased at first and decreased afterwards with decreasing cooling rate. The alloy with air cooling (AC) has the best stress rupture properties. The γ′ phase changed into a perfect raft structure during the stress rupture process of the specimens with AC method. However, the γ′ phase changed into a very irregular raft microstructure in the specimens with the water cooling (WC) and furnace cooling (FC) method. The micro-cracks in the specimen with irregular raft make the initiation and interconnection easier than that in the specimen with regular raft. Therefore, the alloy with AC method has optimum microstructure and stress rupture property.

Abstract: An observation was conducted on the microstructures of as-cast as well as solid solution treated the third generation single crystal superalloy DD9 using optical microscope and SEM. The effects of solid solution temperature and time on the eutectic fractions of γ/γ and size of γ of the alloy were investigated. The results showed that the microstructure of DD9 was uniform. W and Re segregated to the dendrite cores while Al, Ta and Nb were enriched in interdendritic regions during solidification. The eutectic fractions of γ/γ reduced with the solid solution temperature raising and the solid solution time prolonging. When solid solution temperature increased to 1340, the eutectic in the alloy was entirely dissolved. The size of γ in dendritic cores was consistent, however the size of γ in interdendritic regions was gradually decreased with the increase of solid solution treatment and time, eventually the sizes of γ were completely uniform at the temperature of 1340

Abstract: The samples of single crystal superalloy DD6 were grit blasted and then heat treated in the temperature range of 1100-1250°C for 4h and the DD6 alloy ‘standard heat treatment’ in vacuum furnace, respectively. The results showed that cellular recrystallization occurred in the surface layer after heating at 1100°C for 4 hours. While equiaxed recrystallization grains occurred near the surface of the samples annealed at 1200°C for 4 hours, meanwhile, cellular recrystallization located between equiaxed recrystallization grains and the original region. With the improvement of the heating temperature, the size of cellular recrystallization decreased, while the size of equiaxed recrystallization grains increased, and the shape of the coarse γ′ phase in the cellular recrystallization changed from lamellar to equiaxial. Fully equiaxed recrystallization grains nucleated after standard heat treatment. Furthermore, the twins occurred in fully equiaxed recrystallization grains, and that the γ′ phase of the twin plane appeared different from that of the equiaxed recrystallization boundary. On the contrary, the twin formation was not observed in the cellular recrystallization grains. Therefore, the differences in twin behavior between the fully equiaxed recrystallization and cellular recrystallization grains were discussed.

Abstract: The tensile properties of DD6 alloy with twist low angle boundaries were investigated at 760°C, 850°C and 980°C, and the misorientation angle of twist low angle boundaries of the specimens of the alloy varies from 0º to 12º. The results showed that when the angle of low angle boundaries is relatively small, it has a little effect on the tensile properties of the alloy. It is notable that effects of low angle boundaries on the tensile strength are weaker than those on the tensile elongation. The characteristic of quasi-cleavage, intergranular and dimple fracture were observed on the tensile rupture surfaces of the specimens, and the tensile fracture mechanism was discussed.

Abstract: This work assesses the effects of the surface recrystallization of the processing of water grit blasting, grit blasting and mechanically polishing on the microstructures and creep rupture properties of DD6 alloy, a low-cost second generation single crystal superalloy. The results demonstrate that the possibility and the depth of the surface recrystallization of DD6 show an increase as the annealing temperature increases from 1050°C to 1250°C. No surface recrystallization happens when the specimens of the alloy have been undergone at 1100°C for 4 hours after water grit blasting, but the surface recrystallization occurs at the annealing temperature above 1200°C for 4 hours after water grit blasting. The test indicates that the increasing pre-deformation decreases the surface recrystallization temperature. The creep rupture life of DD6 alloy without processing is 274.4 hours, 341.1 hours at the conditions of 980°C/250MPa, 1070°C/140MPa respectively. After annealing at 1100°C for 4 hours, the creep rupture life of the alloy with the processing of water grit blasting is equivalent to that of the alloy without processing. The surface recrystallization of the alloy happens with the processing of grit blasting after the annealing at 1100°C for 4 hours, and there is a reduction of the creep rupture life at the conditions as mentioned above. The creep properties of DD6 alloy meet the needs of blades and vanes of single crystal for advanced aeroengines when the surface recrystallization of the alloy occurs during manufacturing and processing.

Abstract: The effects of thermal physical parameters and boundary conditions on investment solidification parameters were obtained using a computer simulation system. Directional solidification parameters of single crystal superalloy include the temperature distribution, the position and the shape of the solid/liquid interface in the mushy zone of the solidifying blade casting. Commercial finite-element analysis software, ProCAST, was used to simulate the solidification processes of the castings of single crystal DD6. The simulation results indicate that the predictions of the temperature show little sensitivity to the thermal physical parameters and boundary conditions. Further, it has also been shown that the location and the shape of solid/liquid interface is related to the boundary conditions of simulation. Increasing the value of interface heat transfer coefficient decreases the width of mushy zone.

Abstract: The effects of high temperature exposure simulating service conditions on stress rupture properties were studied for the second generation single crystal superalloy DD6. The specimens with [001] orientation were exposed in air at temperatures of 980°C and 1070°C for 100h to 1000h. They were then tested using conventional mechanical tests at 1070°C/140MPa to determine the effects of exposure on stress rupture properties. The analysis indicated that stress rupture life decreased with increasing exposure time. At the temperature of 980°C, the stress rupture life is more than 180h after exposure for 1000h. When the test temperature increased to 1070°C, the stress rupture life exceeds 100h after 800h exposure. The morphology of γ prime phase after exposure was observed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Morphologies evaluations have shown that alloy DD6 exhibits excellent microstructure stability after exposure. TCP (Topologically Closed Packed) phases have not been observed. It has been also found that the morphology and size of γ prime affected stress rupture life of the alloy. The decrement in stress rupture life with increasing exposure is a result of γ prime rafting.

Abstract: Single crystal superalloy turbine blade are widely used in aero-engineering. However, there are often grain defects occurring during the fabrication of blade by casting. It is important to study the formation of microstructure related defects in turbine blades. Single crystal blade sample castings of a nickel-base superalloy were produced at different withdrawal rates by the directional solidification process and investment casting. There was a difference between the microstructure morphology at the top part of the turbine blade sample castings and the one at the bottom. Higher withdrawal rates led to more differences in the microstructure and a higher probability of crystallographic defect formation such as high angle boundaries at locations with an abrupt change of the transversal section area. To further investigate the formation of grain defects, a numerical simulation technique was used to predict the crystallographic defects occurring during directional solidification. The simulation results agreed with the experimental ones.