Papers by Keyword: Gamma Prime

Abstract: Ni-Cr binary alloys containing high amount of Cr demonstrate gamma/alpha-Cr lamellar structure by discontinuous precipitation (DP) reaction from grain boundary. The mechanism of DP reaction is caused by supersaturated Cr in the gamma phase. Supersaturated Cr concentration influences the driving force for the DP reaction and the lamellar spacing. Moreover, the Ni-based alloys with high Cr, containing Al, significantly increase the hardness and strength due to the very narrow lamellar structure. Al addition brings on Ni consumption in the matrix by precipitation of the gamma prime phase. Therefore, Cr supersaturates dramatically in the matrix. The wrought Ni-Cr-Al alloy, Ni-38Cr-3.8Al (mass%) , reaches extremely high tensile strength, which is over 2 GPa, after annealing treatment. Even though chemical composition of Ni-38Cr-3.8Al is simple, the microstructure is complex because it consists of the gamma/alpha Cr lamellar structure with the fine gamma prime particles. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the influence of Cr concentration on the cellular precipitation behaviour. In order to understand the influence of Cr concentration, Ni-34, 36 and 38Cr-3.8Al alloys were prepared. Forged bars were subjected to solution treatment in the gamma single phase region. Subsequently, the alloys were aged from 873K to 1073 K for various times. The cellular precipitation reaction is suppressed by a decrease in Cr concentration, particularly at low temperature annealing treatment condition. The hardness is low in lower Cr concentration alloys in all range of annealing treatment temperature. These results indicate that Cr concentration remarkably affects the driving force for the DP reaction.

Abstract: Udimet 520 is a low precipitation strengthened nickel-based superalloy, which was designed and developed to be gas turbine blades at elevated temperatures. However, after long-term service under high stresses and temperatures, the microstructure of the turbine blades could be continually degraded. Therefore, the mechanical properties could be worse than the new ones. The rejuvenation heat treatment of degraded turbine blades, which were made of cast Udimet 520, was following by solution treatment at 1,121oC / 4 hours and then double aging processes including primary aging at 843 oC / 24 hours and secondary aging at 760oC / 16 hours, respectively. However, in practical reheat treatment processes, the temperature during solution treatment could be dropped by error or malfunction of high temperature heating furnace because the furnace has to be operated continually at very high temperature for very long time resulting in final reheat treated microstructures in many nickel base superalloys. To simulate this effect, the droppings of temperature during solution treatment are chosen and performed for 3 levels; 840oC, 800oC and 760oC, which could happen in practical working then heated up again immediately to solution temperature level. The maximum number of temperature dropping during the single solution treatment is up to 3 times. Received results show that the effect of temperature dropping during solution treatment has influenced on the final rejuvenated microstructures slightly due to the low precipitation behavior of the alloy. The long term heating at 800oC and 900oC / 1000 hours provided much effect in gamma prime particle coarsening.

Abstract: . The Ni-base superalloys have an interesting history and evolution since they start to be used in aero jet engines. Microstructures of superalloys have dramatically changed through the years as modern technology of its casting or forging becomes more sophisticated. The first superalloys have polyedric microstructure consist of gamma solid solution, some fraction of gamma prime and of course grain boundaries. As demands on higher performance of aero jet engine increases, the changes in superalloys microstructure become more significant. Further step in microstructure evolution was directionally solidified alloys with columnar gamma prime particles. The latest microstructures are mostly monocrystalline, oriented in [001] direction of FCC gamma matrix. What does not changed through the years is elementary FCC structure of matrix and fundamental group of alloying elements. All microstructure changes bring necessity of proper preparation and evaluation of microstructure. Except already mentioned structures have gamma double prime and various carbides form appear. These structural parameters have mainly positive influence on important mechanical properties of superalloys. However, some detrimental phases as Laves, σ-phase appears as well and have negative influence on heat resistance of superalloys. Paper deals with such microstructural evaluation of both groups of alloys – cast and wrought as well. Microstructure evaluation helps to describe mechanism at various loading and failure of progressive superalloys. Such example where microstructure evaluation is employed is fractography of failure surfaces after fatigue tests, which are as example of metallography evaluation described in this paper as secondary objective. Fatigue test done in this article were at high frequency with push-pull loading, so called high frequency fatigue loading (HFFL) and at low frequency three point flexure, so called low frequency fatigue loading (LFFL).

Abstract: Nickel-base superalloys have been used as high temperature materials in land-base gas turbine application. When subjected to long term, high temperature service, large crack propagation was observed. Typical refurbishment method of these turbines is carried out by using TIG welding followed by post-weld standard heat treatment. However, new crack initiation is found in the heat-affected zone after TIG welding. Pre-weld heat treatment has been discovered to improves final γ + γ’ microstructure. This study focuses on the effect of pre-weld heat treatment temperature on final γ + γ’ microstructure. Seven different conditions of pre-weld heat treatment temperature were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy studies were carried out after pre-weld and post-weld heat treatments to compare the γ + γ’ microstructure and capture microcracks. The best pre-weld heat treatment temperature produces uniform distribution of finely dispersed γ’ precipitates in the γ matrix without post-weld crack.

Abstract: In this paper, the precipitation behaviour of  (Ni3(Nb,Al)) and ’ (Ni3(Al,Ti,Nb)) phases in the nickel-base superalloy ATI Allvac® 718PlusTM, as well as their kinetic interactions are discussed. Important parameters such as volume fraction, mean radius and number density of precipitates are experimentally determined and numerically simulated as a function of the heat treatment parameters time and temperature. To match the experimentally observed kinetics, the predicted interfacial energy of the precipitates, as calculated for a sharp, planar phase boundary, is adjusted to take into account the interfacial curvature and entropic effects of a diffuse interface. Correction functions for the interfacial energies of  as well as ’ precipitates are presented. Using these modified interfacial energies, the calculated results show excellent agreement with the experimental measurements.

Abstract: The effect of heat treatment in superalloy CM247LC on tensile properties at various temperatures has been investigated. In the case of equiaxed poly-crystal specimen, the aged condition (HTA condition) has higher strength than the solution treated and aged condition (HTSA condition) at low temperature. The HTSA condition exhibits higher strength than HTA condition in directionally solidified specimen in all temperature range. Shearing of γ´ particle is a principal deformation process at the low temperature, and cutting of fine secondary γ´ particle plays important role in the early stage of deformation in the HTA poly-crystal specimen. Tangles of short misfit dislocations form at the γ/γ´ interface during the high temperature deformation due to the partial loss of coherency at the interface. The rafting of γ´ increases tensile strength of the HTSA specimen at and above 871°C.

Abstract: Degradation of the gas turbine hot-gas-path components, the 1st stage blades and vanes, serviced for a period was evaluated by measuring the mechanical properties. For this, tensile and impact tests on these gas turbine parts were performed. Microstructure of the substrate and coating layers were also observed. The mechanical properties of the serviced blades were degraded by about 30% comparing with those of unused ones. In terms of the microstructure, the dissolution of the secondary g’ phase and subsequent coarsening of precipitates were observed in the substrate. And the interdiffusion zone near the coating layer was disappeared.