<i style="">In-Situ</i> Monitoring of Phase Transition and Microstructure Evolution in Ni-Based Superalloys by Electrical Resistivity:Direct Comparison With Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Application to Case Studies

In this study, resistivity measurements are made during continuous heating and cooling on four different Ni-based superalloys of different grain structures and with different phases (i.e., γ′ and carbide). The results are directly compared with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) profiles to identify the material’s resistivity response. The resistivity measurements have been performed using an electro-thermal mechanical testing (ETMT) system having a capability of heating and cooling a sample at a rate of up to 100 K/s by Joule heating, which is not possible with standard heating methods used in previous in-situ microstructure analysis approaches. By comparing different precipitate variations and thermal histories, γ′ volume fraction and precipitate number density are found to be the most important factors determining the resistivity of the materials. In-situ resistivity measurement was applied to several case studies to show that it can provide microstructural information in complex high temperature experiments.<br/

Overheating of Waspaloy:Effect of cooling rate on flow stress behavior

During service of a gas turbine engine, components may suffer instant overheating which is a concern to safe operations. Effect of short overheating on the tensile properties of a Ni-based superalloy Waspaloy has been studied due to its significant importance for practical applications. The results have shown that a combination of near supersolvus overheating at 1000 °C with very rapid cooling at a rate of 50 K/s is most detrimental case to the tensile properties of the material. This is attributed to the absence of γ' and carbide re-precipitation and growth during cooling period. Microstructure change during overheating and cooling has been deduced using in-situ resistivity measurements. This work provides evidence that multilateral measurements including resistivity can shed light on the failure controlling parameters

<i style="">In-Situ</i> Monitoring of Phase Transition and Microstructure Evolution in Ni-Based Superalloys by Electrical Resistivity:Direct Comparison With Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Application to Case Studies

In this study, resistivity measurements are made during continuous heating and cooling on four different Ni-based superalloys of different grain structures and with different phases (i.e., γ′ and carbide). The results are directly compared with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) profiles to identify the material’s resistivity response. The resistivity measurements have been performed using an electro-thermal mechanical testing (ETMT) system having a capability of heating and cooling a sample at a rate of up to 100 K/s by Joule heating, which is not possible with standard heating methods used in previous in-situ microstructure analysis approaches. By comparing different precipitate variations and thermal histories, γ′ volume fraction and precipitate number density are found to be the most important factors determining the resistivity of the materials. In-situ resistivity measurement was applied to several case studies to show that it can provide microstructural information in complex high temperature experiments.<br/

Overheating of Waspaloy:Effect of cooling rate on flow stress behavior

During service of a gas turbine engine, components may suffer instant overheating which is a concern to safe operations. Effect of short overheating on the tensile properties of a Ni-based superalloy Waspaloy has been studied due to its significant importance for practical applications. The results have shown that a combination of near supersolvus overheating at 1000 °C with very rapid cooling at a rate of 50 K/s is most detrimental case to the tensile properties of the material. This is attributed to the absence of γ' and carbide re-precipitation and growth during cooling period. Microstructure change during overheating and cooling has been deduced using in-situ resistivity measurements. This work provides evidence that multilateral measurements including resistivity can shed light on the failure controlling parameters

Grid anisotropy reduction method for cellular automata based solidification models

The reliability of a cellular automata (CA) simulation for a free dendritic growth problem relies heavily on its ability to reduce the artificial grid anisotropy. Hence, a computationally efficient, accurate and elegant cell capturing methodology is essential to achieve reliable results. Therefore, a novel cell capturing method termed limited circular neighbourhood (LCN) is proposed in the present study for solidification models. The LCN method is applied to the canonical test cases with an isotropic growth rate and is compared with other grid anisotropy reducing methods. It is observed that the LCN method is able to capture the growth orientation accurately. Moreover, the mass loss and shape error in the proposed method is significantly reduced as compared with the other methods. In addition, its performance is also evaluated for a free dendrite growth problem in a pure material in which the growth captured by the LCN method is found to be accurate. Finally, its efficacy is also demonstrated in the results presented for a constrained dendritic growth problem in a binary alloy with multiple growth sites

What is the role of rhenium in single crystal superalloys?

Rhenium plays a critical role in single-crystal superalloys –its addition to first generation alloys improves creep life by a factor of at least two, with further benefits for fatigue performance. Its use in alloys such as PWA1484, CMSX-4 and Rene N5 is now widespread, and many in this community regard Re as the “magic dust”. In this paper, the latest thinking concerning the origins of the “rhenium-effect” is presented. We start by reviewing the hypothesis that rhenium clusters represent barriers to dislocation motion. Recent atom probe tomography experiments have shown that Re may instead form a solid solution with Ni at low concentrations (< 7 at.%). Density functional theory calculations indicate that, in the solid solution, short range ordering of Re may be expected. Finally, Re has been shown to diffuse slowly in the γ-Ni phase. Calculations using a semi-analytical dislocation climb/glide model based upon the work of McLean and Dyson have been used to rationalise the composition-dependence of creep deformation in these materials. All evidence points to two important factors: (i) the preferred partitioning of Re to the γ phase, where dislocation activity preferentially occurs during the tertiary creep regime and (ii) a retardation effect on dislocation segments at γ/γ′ interfaces, which require non-conservative climb and thus an associated vacancy flux

On the size and orientation effect in additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V

In this work, the influence of the specimen size and orientation on the strength and ductility of additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V is analysed and rationalised in a complete framework. First, the mechanical properties are addressed – as a function of surface-type, orientation, and size. Our results show systematic strengthening and a drastic drop in ductility as the material section is reduced. These changes are rationalised and linked to changes in microstructure, chemistry, and surface quality. Strengthening is due to combined changes in α-lath thickness, oxygen enrichment, and prior-β grain size. The microstructural changes are due to the differences in the ratio between contouring and hatching laser strategies as the sample size decreases. Changes in the chemical composition is due to an increase in the surface-to-volume ratio as the sample size decreases. Lost of ductility is due to poor surface quality – smaller sections show rougher surfaces – and grain orientations. Finally, these findings are used to develop a set of conceptual design maps of strength and ductility as a function of the component type, thickness, and orientation

Grain Boundary Serration in Nickel Alloy Inconel 600: Quantification and Mechanisms

The serration of grain boundaries in Inconel 600 caused by heat treatment is studied systematically. A new method based on Fourier transforms is used to analyse the multiple wave-like character of the serrated grain boundaries. A new metric -- the serration index -- is devised and utilised to quantify the degree of serration and more generally to distinguish objectively between serrated and non-serrated boundaries. By considering the variation of the serration index with processing parameters, a causal relationship between degree of serration and solution treatment/cooling rate is elucidated. Processing maps for the degree of serration are presented. Two distinct formation mechanisms arise which rely upon grain boundary interaction with carbides: (i) Zener-type dragging which hinders grain boundary migration and (ii) a faceted carbide growth-induced serration

A Comparative Study of High Temperature Tensile and Creep Testing Between Standard and Miniature Specimens:Applicability and Limits

This study concerns the quasi-static and time-dependent mechanical behavior obtained via the miniaturized electro-thermal mechanical testing (ETMT) approach for single crystal (SX) and conventional cast Mar-M-247 superalloy. The experimental outcome was benchmarked against standardized testing procedures. It is found that tensile yielding behavior can be captured accurately by the ETMT approach up to 1100 ºC, provided the appropriate type of thermocouple (T/C) is chosen. Furthermore, creep rupture behavior is underestimated by the miniaturized set-up. High repeatability of the rupture time was obtained for the SX case, whereas a significant scatter was observed for the conventional cast case. The discrepancies are assessed in detail; discussion centers around analytical and practical considerations, such as temperature uncertainty due to parasitic voltage and the choice of T/C, microstructural change as a result of the Joule heating, representative gauge volume, and strain rate non-linearity. Consequently, the applicability and limits of the miniaturized approach are examined critically, and improvements were suggested where appropriate