Some features of anisothermal solid-state transformations in alloy 718

This paper presents an attempt to use differential thermal analysis to study anisothermal precipitation of both the stable delta and the metastable gamma-second phases during cooling of alloy Inconel 718. Observation of the samples by scanning and transmission electron microscopy was carried out to identify the thermal arrests observed upon cooling. When the upper temperature of the cycle is above the solvus of the delta phase, a clear peak is observed that could be related to precipitation of gamma-second for all the cooling rates used in the present work. When this temperature is below the delta solvus, no thermal arrest can be observed, while when it is close to it two faint peaks were noted and associated with stable and metastable precipitation. The most striking result was that dissolution of the metastable gamma-second phase during the heating stage was found to proceed heterogeneously in the material, and this affected reprecipitation of the phases upon subsequent cooling

Experimental data about mechanical behaviour during compression tests for various matted fibres

A specific experimental device has been set up to test compressive mechanical behaviour of an assembly of fibres. Simple compression, as well as cyclic loading experiments and relaxation tests were performed. The experimental set up also allows to record the evolution of the mat fibre electrical resistance while testing. Experimental results are presented for a variety of fibrous materials. Despite the very different nature of each of these individual fibres, it appears that the mats exhibit a very similar mechanical behaviour. This common behaviour has been observed during monotonic single compression tests, as well as during cyclic or relaxation experiments. These experimental results are discussed in terms of different parameters such as the intrinsic mechanical properties of individual fibres and moreover the tangle intrinsic parameters (effect of fibre length, effect of geometrical position of fibres in the sample, fibre surface modifications. . .). The influence of the contact points between fibres is discussed in regard of the electric resistivity measurement

Creep behaviour of as received, aged and cold worked INCONEL 617 at 850 °C and 950 °C

The effect of initial microstructure on alloy 617 creep behaviour has been investigated at 850 °C and 950 °C. The solution treated material shows non-classical creep behaviour at both temperatures with a strain rate drop at the beginning of the tests followed by a creep rate increase to a plateau before the onset of the tertiary creep. The intragranular secondary carbides which precipitate early at test temperature are responsible of the strong initial hardening effect by pinning the dislocations. This effect is overpassed during the thermo mechanical ageing of the alloy which induces growth of these carbides. Prior 1000 h thermal ageing at the temperature test totally removes the strain rate drop and reduces the lifetime. The intragranular microstructure has evolved thanks to the prior thermal ageing before the creep tests. Microstructural examinations also show the presence of grain boundary migration and recrystallization in the material during creep tests of the as received and aged materials. Preliminary cold work treatment highly reduces the strain rate of Inconel 617 and enhances the lifetime at 850 °C while the opposite is observed at 950 °C

Rafting microstructure during creep of the MC2 nickel-based superalloy at very high temperature

Directional coarsening of the single-crystalline nickel-based superalloy MC2 has been investigated by means of tensile creep tests at 1100 ◦C. Two specific specimen geometries were designed in order to generate a variety of stress and strain states. Different coarsening microstructures are observed: N- and P-type classical rafting but also coarsening oriented 45◦ away from the load axis. The comparison of microstructure maps with the local mechanical state evaluated by finite element calculations shows that the 45◦ directional coarsening appears in case of very high cumulated strain values (above 10%), independent of the stress sign. Transmission electron microscopy investigations showthat the dislocation microstructure is similar in both N-type and 45◦ coarsened areas

TEM Study of High-Temperature Precipitation of Delta Phase in Inconel 718 Alloy

Inconel 718 is widely used because of its ability to retain strength at up to 650◦C for long periods of time through coherent metastable γ” Ni3Nb precipitation associated with a smaller volume fraction of γ’ Ni3Al precipitates. At very long ageing times at service temperature, γ” decomposes to the stable Ni3Nb δ phase. This latter phase is also present above the γ” solvus and is used for grain control during forging of alloy 718.While most works available on δ precipitation have been performed at temperatures below the γ” solvus, it appeared of interest to also investigate the case where δ phase precipitates directly fromthe fccmatrix free of γ’’precipitates. This was studied by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM observations confirmed the presence of rotation-ordered domains in δ plates, and some unexpected contrast could be explained by double diffraction due to overlapping phases

Characterizing precipitation defects in nickel based 718 alloy

In the present study we examine the crystallographic structure of the ϒ, ϒ'' and δ phases present in nickel base 718 alloy. The chemical ordering of Nb atoms and possible planar faults that may be observed in ϒ'' precipitates are detailed. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations of various faults are reported. The decomposition of a matrix dislocation to form a locked V shaped configuration is shown. The observation along [110] type direction allows to identify the type of defect, which is observed as a pure geometric stacking fault

High-temperature creep of single-crystal nickel-based superalloy : microstructural changes and effects of thermal cycling

Creep tests were performed on MC2 single crystal superalloy at 950°C/200 MPa and 1150°C/80 MPa under isothermal and thermal cycling conditions with a tensile axis along the [0 0 1] direction. It was found that the thermal cycles strongly affect the creep behavior at 1150°C but not at 950°C. This was related to the repetitive precipitation and dissolution of small γ′ rafts at the higher temperature, as revealed by quantitative characterization of the γ/γ′ microstructure. The dislocation microstructure exhibits similar trends in all the tested conditions, with a very high activity of a[1 0 0]-type dislocations climbing through the rafts. Such climbing dislocations constitute a recovery process for the deformation active system. It appears that the density of a[1 0 0] dislocations, and not their climb velocity or diffusion rate, is the key parameter for the control of creep rate. The thermal cycles, which imply the creation and subsequent dissolution of rafts, provided new dislocations, which explains the acceleration of creep observed under such conditions

Injection of vacancies at metal grain boundaries during the oxidation of nickel

Nickel foils have been oxidised at 1000 °C on one side only in laboratory air, the other side being protected from oxidation by a reducing atmosphere. After the oxidation treatment, the unoxidised face was carefully examined by using an atomic force microscope. Grain boundaries grooves were characterised and their depth were compared to the ones obtained on the same sample heat treated in the reducing atmosphere during the same time. Grain boundaries grooves are found to be much deeper in the case of the single side oxidised samples. It is shown that this additional grooving is directly linked to the growth of the oxide scale on the opposite side and that it can be explained by the diffusion of the vacancies produced at the oxide scale–metal interface, across the entire sample through grain boundaries. Moreover, the comparison between single side oxidised samples and samples oxidised on both sides points out that voids in grain boundaries are only observed in this latter case proving the vacancies condensation in the metal when the two faces are oxidised

High-temperature oxidation kinetics of NiAl single crystal and oxide spallation as a function of crystallographic orientation

Isothermal and cyclic high-temperature oxidation of NiAl single crystal samples are presented. Oxidations have been carried out at 900, 1050, 1100 and 1150 ◦C on (1 0 0) and (1 1 0) oriented surface. Continuous thermogravimetry in cyclic conditions allows isothermal oxidation kinetics and spalling at each cycle to be followed. Oxidation kinetics are compared between (1 0 0) surface and (1 1 0) surface. (1 0 0) oriented surfaces appeared to oxidize slightly faster than (1 1 0) oriented surfaces. Experimental results of cyclic oxidation are compared to simulated results using a previously published statistical model. Spalling increases when the average oxide scale thickness increases with the number of cycles. Longer tests are necessary to study this evolution during the ’steady-state’ but no critical oxide thickness was found

Evolution of interfacial dislocation network during anisothermal high-temperature creep of a nickel-based superalloy

The effect of thermal cycling creep on the dislocation networks at the γ/γ′ interfaces in the MC2 superalloy is investigated. Tensile creep tests were performed under thermal cycling and isothermal conditions at low stress (80 MPa) and high temperature (1150 °C). In these conditions γ′ rafts may dissolve and reprecipitate during thermal cycling creep. The difference between the effects of isothermal and thermal cycling conditions on the γ/γ′ interface dislocation networks, characterized by transmission electron microscopy, is exposed, as well as their evolution during the cycle