Phase Prediction, Microstructure, and Microhardness of Sintered Nickel-Based Superalloy

Abstract:

In this study, the phase formation, microstructure and microhardness of nickel-based superalloy fabricated using a spark plasma sintering technique were evaluated. The microstructure and microhardness of the nickel-based superalloy were explored at diverse sintering temperatures (600 °C - 1050 °C). The phase formations and volume fraction with respect to temperature were predicted by using CALPHAD-based software. The microstructure, phase constitution, and microhardness were evaluated via scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Vickers hardness tester. The findings indicated that the spark plasma sintering technique enables the development and growth of the necking of particles, enhancing elemental bonding and alloy densification as the temperature increases. The hardness value increases at increasing temperatures, with a maximum value of 353 HV attained at a temperature of 1050 °C.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1116)
• Pages: 77-84
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-eS8wsb
• Online since: March 2024
• Authors: Bukola Joseph Babalola*, Rudzani Nengwekhulu, Olusoji Oluremi Ayodele, Boitumelo Charmaine Mashabela, Peter Apata Olubambi
• Keywords: CALPHAD, Microhardness, Microstructure, Nickel-Base Superalloy, Sintering

References

[1] B. J. Babalola et al., "Effect of Nanocrystalline Nickel Powder and Co, Mo, Ta, and Al Additions on Isothermal Oxidation Behavior of Ni–17Cr Alloy," Metallography, Microstructure, and Analysis, vol. 9, no. 1, 2020.

DOI: 10.1007/s13632-020-00614-9

[2] C. D. Taylor and B. M. Tossey, "High temperature oxidation of corrosion resistant alloys from machine learning," Npj Mater Degrad, vol. 5, no. 1, p.38, Jul. 2021.

DOI: 10.1038/s41529-021-00184-3

[3] T. M. Pollock, "Alloy design for aircraft engines," Nat Mater, vol. 15, no. 8, p.809–815, Aug. 2016.

DOI: 10.1038/nmat4709

[4] S. Min et al., "High-temperature oxidation performance of Ni-based GH3536 superalloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion," Npj Mater Degrad, vol. 6, no. 1, p.66, Aug. 2022.

DOI: 10.1038/s41529-022-00276-8

[5] B. J. Babalola, S. Salifu, and P. A. Olubambi, "Effect of Mechanical Milling on the Mechanical, Dry Sliding Wear, and Impact Response of Sintered Nickel Based Superalloy," J Mater Eng Perform, 2020.

DOI: 10.1007/s11665-020-05256-0

[6] B. J. Babalola, O. O. Ayodele, M. A. Awotunde, S. O. Akinwamide, and P. A. Olubambi, "Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni-17Cr-xCo ternary alloys fabricated via field-assisted sintering," Mater Lett, vol. 302, p.130404, Nov. 2021.

DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2021.130404

[7] T. Li et al., "CALPHAD-aided design for superior thermal stability and mechanical behavior in a TiZrHfNb refractory high-entropy alloy," Acta Mater, vol. 246, p.118728, Mar. 2023.

DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2023.118728

[8] V. P. Mkhwanazi, B. J. Babalola, O. O. Ayodele, T. Tshephe, and P. A. Olubambi, "Spark Plasma Sintering of TaN/TiAl Composites: Microstructure and Microhardness Study," International Journal of Engineering Research in Africa, vol. 61, p.69–77, Jul. 2022.

DOI: 10.4028/p-87lh6f

[9] O. O. Ayodele, B. J. Babalola, and P. A. Olubambi, "Evaluation of the Wear and Mechanical Properties of Titanium Diboride-Reinforced Titanium Matrix Composites Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering," Materials, vol. 16, no. 5, p.2078, Mar. 2023.

DOI: 10.3390/ma16052078

[10] B. J. Babalola, O. O. Ayodele, and P. A. Olubambi, "Sintering of nanocrystalline materials: Sintering parameters," Heliyon, vol. 9, no. 3, p. e14070, Mar. 2023.

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14070

[11] B. J. Babalola, M. B. Shongwe, B. A. Obadele, and P. A. Olubambi, "Densification, microstructure and mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered Ni-17%Cr binary alloys," International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, vol. 101, no. 5–8, 2019.

DOI: 10.1007/s00170-018-3062-y

[12] A. Graboś et al., "Microstructure and Hardness of Spark Plasma Sintered Inconel 625-NbC Composites for High-Temperature Applications," Materials, vol. 14, no. 16, p.4606, Aug. 2021.

DOI: 10.3390/ma14164606

[13] A. S. Hakeem et al., "Comparative evaluation of thermal and mechanical properties of nickel alloy 718 prepared using selective laser melting, spark plasma sintering, and casting methods," Journal of Materials Research and Technology, vol. 12, p.870–881, May 2021.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.03.043

[14] S. Ma, S. Zhou, W. Zhang, S. Wang, and M. Liu, "A facile synthesis of Inconel718-GNSs composites with high strength via spark plasma sintering," J Alloys Compd, vol. 922, p.166270, Nov. 2022.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.166270

[15] E. Martínez-Franco et al., "Mechanical characterization by multiscale indentation of particle reinforced Nickel-Alumina metal matrix nanocomposites obtained by high-kinetic processing of ball milling and spark plasma sintering," J Alloys Compd, vol. 927, p.166880, Dec. 2022.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.166880

[16] W. Li, L. Li, C. Wei, J.-C. Zhao, and Q. Feng, "Effects of Ni, Cr and W on the microstructural stability of multicomponent CoNi-base superalloys studied using CALPHAD and diffusion-multiple approaches," J Mater Sci Technol, vol. 80, p.139–149, Jul. 2021.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2020.10.080