Influence of deformation and environmental degradation of Inconel 792

Industrial gas turbines are often used as a mechanical drive for pumps and compressors or in power generation as an electric power supply. The gas turbine has for many years been a popular engine due to its flexibility with respect to different types of fuel and due to a design, that enables a high power-to-weight ratio. A simplified description of a gas turbine is that the engine consists of a cold and hot section. The turbo compressor section belongs to cold section and the combustion chamber together with the turbine section belongs to the hot section. In the hot section of a gas turbine, the condition is extremely severe because of an aggressive environment characterized by high temperatures, increased temperature gradients, high pressure and centrifugal forces resulting in large stresses on individual components together with an oxidizing and corroding atmosphere. Materials used in the high temperature section (hot gas path) of a modern gas turbine are different types of superalloys, as single crystal, directionally solidified or polycrystalline alloys, depending on temperature and load conditions. In the first turbine stage, temperature is very high due to exposure to the combustion gas. To handle the problem with creep, single crystal superalloys are often used in this section. In the second row of turbine blades, the temperature of the gas is lower and polycrystalline superalloys are typically used. IN-792 is a cast polycrystalline superalloy with high strength, good resistance to hot corrosion and a cheaper option than single crystals. In the hot section of gas turbine, IN-792 is a suitable material for components such as turbine blades and vans where a complex load condition, high temperature and severe environment prevails. Due to startup and shutdown of the gas turbine engine during service, the components in the hot section are exposed to cyclic load and temperature. This will generate mechanical and thermal fatigue damage in gas turbine components. Steady state temperature gradient arises by the cooling system acting at cold spots during service to introduce tensile stress, which indirectly gives rise to creep damage in the component. This work includes tree studies of deformation and damage mechanisms of superalloy IN-792. The first study is made on test bars exposed to thermomechanical fatigue in laboratory environment, the second and the third study is made on turbine blades used during service. In the second study, the machines are placed off-shore and exposed to marine environment. In the third study the machine is landbased and exposed to an industrial environment. In the second study, the deformation and damage mechanisms are compared between the turbine blades used during service and the test bars exposed to thermomechanical fatigue testing in the first study

The Deformation and Damage Mechanisms During Thermomechanical Fatigue (TMF) in IN792

The deformation and damage mechanisms arising during thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) of the polycrystalline superalloy IN792 have been investigated. The TMF cycles used in this study are in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP). The minimum temperature used in all TMF-tests is 100 °C while the maximum temperature is 750 °C in the IP TMF-tests and 850° or 950 °C in the OP TMF-tests. Most cracks have propagated transgranularly through the material and this holds for all temperatures used in this study. In all tests, the cracks have initiated and propagated in locations where deformation structures such as deformation bands have formed in the material. In the temperature interval 750°-850 °C, twins are formed in both IP and OP TMF-tests and this behaviour is observed to be further enhanced close to a crack. Twins are to a significantly lesser extent observed for tests with a higher (950 °C) maximum temperature. Recrystallization at grain boundaries, around particles and within the deformation structures have occurred in the OP TMF-tests with a maximum temperature of 850° and 950 °C and this is more apparent for the higher temperature

Deformation and damage mechanisms in IN792 during thermomechanical fatigue

The deformation and damage mechanisms arising during thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) of the polycrystallinesuperalloy IN792 have been investigated. The TMF cycles used in this study are in-phase(IP) and out-of-phase (OP). The minimum temperature used in all TMF-tests is 100 ◦C while the maximumtemperature is 500 or 750 ◦C in the IP TMF-tests and 750, 850 or 950 ◦C in the OP TMF-tests. Themajority of the cracks are transcrystalline, except for the IP TMF-test at 750 ◦C, where some tendencyto intercrystalline crack growth can be seen. In all tests, the cracks were initiated and propagated inlocations where deformation structures such as deformation bands have formed in the material. In thetemperature interval 750–850 ◦C, twins were formed in both IP and OP TMF-tests and this behaviouris observed to be further enhanced close to a crack. Twins are to a significantly lesser extent observedfor tests with a lower (500 ◦C) and a higher (950 ◦C) maximum temperature. Recrystallization at grainboundaries, around particles and within the deformation structures have occurred in the OP TMF-testswith a maximum temperature of 850 and 950 ◦C and this is more apparent for the higher temperature.Void formation is frequently observed in the recrystallized areas even for the case of compressive stressesat high temperature.Original Publication:Jan Kanesund, Johan Moverare and Sten Johansson, Deformation and damage mechanisms in IN792 during thermomechanical fatigue, 2011, Materials Science & Engineering: A, (528), 13-14, 4658-4668.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2011.02.063Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.http://www.elsevier.com

The Deformation and Damage Mechanisms During Thermomechanical Fatigue (TMF) in IN792

The deformation and damage mechanisms arising during thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) of the polycrystalline superalloy IN792 have been investigated. The TMF cycles used in this study are in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP). The minimum temperature used in all TMF-tests is 100 °C while the maximum temperature is 750 °C in the IP TMF-tests and 850° or 950 °C in the OP TMF-tests. Most cracks have propagated transgranularly through the material and this holds for all temperatures used in this study. In all tests, the cracks have initiated and propagated in locations where deformation structures such as deformation bands have formed in the material. In the temperature interval 750°-850 °C, twins are formed in both IP and OP TMF-tests and this behaviour is observed to be further enhanced close to a crack. Twins are to a significantly lesser extent observed for tests with a higher (950 °C) maximum temperature. Recrystallization at grain boundaries, around particles and within the deformation structures have occurred in the OP TMF-tests with a maximum temperature of 850° and 950 °C and this is more apparent for the higher temperature

Investigation of localized damage in single crystals subjected to thermalmechanical fatigue (TMF)

The deformation and damage mechanisms arising during thermalmechanical fatigue (TMF) of a CMSX-4 and high-Cr single crystal super alloy, SCA425 have been investigated and a completely new failure mechanism involving recrystallization and oxidation has been discovered. The primary deformation mechanism is slip along the {111} planes. The deformation is highly localised to a number of bands, where recrystallization eventually occur during the thermalmechanical fatigue process. When the final failure occurs along these recrystallized bands it is accompanied by the formation of voids due to the presence of grain boundaries. The damage process is further enhanced by oxidation, since recrystallization occurs more easily in the gamma depleted zone under the oxide scale. The macroscopic as well as the microscopic damage and fracture mechanisms are varying with alloy and heat treatment. The aim of this work is to further investigate, discuss the local damage mechanisms responsible for TMF damage. Of special interest is the localisation of damage into twins and extremely localized rafted deformation bands

Investigation of localized damage in single crystals subjected to thermalmechanical fatigue (TMF)

The deformation and damage mechanisms arising during thermalmechanical fatigue (TMF) of a CMSX-4 and high-Cr single crystal super alloy, SCA425 have been investigated and a completely new failure mechanism involving recrystallization and oxidation has been discovered. The primary deformation mechanism is slip along the {111} planes. The deformation is highly localised to a number of bands, where recrystallization eventually occur during the thermalmechanical fatigue process. When the final failure occurs along these recrystallized bands it is accompanied by the formation of voids due to the presence of grain boundaries. The damage process is further enhanced by oxidation, since recrystallization occurs more easily in the gamma depleted zone under the oxide scale. The macroscopic as well as the microscopic damage and fracture mechanisms are varying with alloy and heat treatment. The aim of this work is to further investigate, discuss the local damage mechanisms responsible for TMF damage. Of special interest is the localisation of damage into twins and extremely localized rafted deformation bands

On localized deformation and recrystallization as damage mechanisms during thermomechanical fatigue of single crystal nickel-based superalloys

Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) in superalloys is growing in importance due to the introduction of advanced cooling systems but also due to the changes in demand and competition within the power generation market; this is requiring many power plants to operate under cyclic conditions. In this paper the TMF behaviour of three different single crystal nickel-based superalloys are compared. It is demonstrated that the deformation and damage mechanisms occurring during TMF are rather different from those traditionally reported for creep or isothermal fatigue. In all cases examined, the deformation is localized within a rather small number of deformation bands. While these bands were found to consist mainly of micro-twins in some alloys, in others they might be better described as slip or shear bands. Furthermore, in some circumstances these bands are prone to recrystallization. In CMSX-4, the intersection points of twins of different orientation act as initiation sites for this process. In the SCA425 alloy - of smaller gamma' content, lower creep resistance and less great oxidation resistance - twinning is observed infrequently; however the deformation is still very localized and in the distorted gamma-gamma' microstructure, along the shear bands, recrystallization is observed. Furthermore the recrystallization is enhanced by oxidation due to the development of a gamma'-depleted zone. In CMSX-4, TCP phases precipitated during long term ageing cause a more dispersed deformation behaviour which prevents recrystallization. Our findings confirm the importance of an inhomogeneous microstructure for good TMF resistance. © (2011) Trans Tech Publications Switzerland

The Role of Oxidized Carbides on Thermal-Mechanical Performance of Polycrystalline Superalloys

Oxidized MC carbides which act as main crack initiation sites in a polycrystalline superalloy under thermal-mechanical fatigue (TMF) conditions at 850 degrees C were studied. Microstructural observations in the TMF tested specimens were compared to findings from bulk samples exposed isothermally in air at 850 degrees C for 30 hours in the absence of any external applied load. Carbides were found to oxidize rapidly after exposure at 850 degrees C for 30 hours resulting in surface eruptions corresponding to oxidation products, from where micro-cracks initiated. Plastic deformation due to volume expansion of the often porous oxidized carbides led to high dislocation densities in the adjacent matrix as revealed by controlled electron channeling contrast imaging. The high dislocation density facilitated the dissolution kinetics of gamma precipitates by segregation and diffusion of chromium and cobalt along the dislocations via pipe diffusion, resulting in the formation of soft recrystallized grains. Atom probe tomography revealed substantial compositional differences between the recrystallized grains and the adjacent undeformed gamma matrix. Similar observations were made for the TMF tested alloy. Our observations provide new insights into the true detrimental role of oxidized MC carbides on the crack initiation performance of polycrystalline superalloys under TMF.Funding Agencies|Max Planck Society; Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB, Sweden; MPG; Swedish Energy Agency [KME-702]</p