N. K. Kazanskaya

Rare-earth metals (REMs) in nickel aluminide-based alloys: I. Physicochemical laws of interaction in the Ni-Al-REM and NixAly-REM-AE (alloying element) systems

The data on the Ni-Al-R (R = REM Sc, Y, La, lanthanides) binary and ternary systems and the interactions of three rare-earth metals (yttrium, lanthanum, cerium) with the main alloying elements (Ti (Zr, Hf), Cr (Mo, W) that are introduced into Ni3Al-based VKNA alloys are analyzed. The binary aluminides of REMs in the Ni-Al-R ternary systems are shown to be in equilibrium with neither NiAl nor Ni3Al. The solid solution of aluminum in RNi5, which penetrates deep into these ternary systems, is the most stable phase in equilibrium with Ni3Al. In the NiAl (Ni3Al)-AE-R systems, REM precipitation (segregation) on various defects and interfaces in nickel aluminides is likely to be the most probable, and REMs are thought to interact with the most active impurities in real alloys (C, O, N), since REMs have a large atomic radius and, thus, are virtually undissolved in nickel, aluminum, and nickel aluminides.

Physicochemical approaches to designing NiAl-based alloys for high-temperature operation

The structure and properties of new-type materials based on light refractory nickel monoaluminide NiAl as a structural material are analytically reviewed. The choice of various alloying systems and structural-phase states of NiAl-based structural materials, including structural materials, is analyzed, and the choice of the processes of production of the materials is grounded, as applied to their composition.

Influence of rare-earth metals on the high-temperature strength of Ni3Al-based alloys

The influence of the content of reaction- and surface-active alloying elements (rare-earth metals (REMs)) and the method of their introduction into cast high-temperature γ′-Ni3Al-based intermetallic alloys, which are thermally stable natural eutectic composites, on their structure-phase state and the mechanical properties is studied. The life of low-alloy heterophase γ′ + γ cast high-temperature light Ni3Al-based alloys is shown can be increased at temperatures exceeding 0.8Tm (Tm is the melting temperature of Ni3Al) due to additional stabilization of the single-crystal structure of these alloys with submicron and nanometer-sized particles of the phases formed by refractory and active REMs. It is also shown that stage-by-stage fractional introduction of all components into alloys during vacuum induction melting with allowance for their reaction activities (most refractory metals are introduced in the form of low-melting-point master alloys at the first stage of vacuum induction melting, and lanthanum is introduced with a master alloy in the optimal contents of 0.1–2 wt % into the charge of VKNA-1V and VKNA-25 alloys at the final stage) leads to the formation of a modified structure stabilized by nanoprecipitates of nickel and aluminum lanthanides and the phases formed by refractory metals. This method increases the life of VKNV-1V-type alloys (0.5 wt % Re) at 1000–1200°C by a factor of ∼1.7 and that of VKNA-25-type alloys (1.2 wt % Re and Co) by a factor of ∼3.

NiAl powder alloys: I. Production of NiAl powders

The influence of five methods of production of Ni50Al50 powder alloys on the processes occurring during reactive alloy formation of nickel monoaluminide during heating is considered. It is shown that, when powder mixtures obtained by agitation in ball mills and cladded composite powders with a low level of internal stresses are used, it is possible to produce a material with a nearly equilibrium phase composition in the course of reactive sintering due to an exothermic effect with the participation of a liquid phase (aluminum melt) in the reaction. The sintered material is porous and has an island structure. Mechanical alloying in a high-energy ball mill (attritor) results in the formation of layered Ni/Al granules with a developed interface and a high level of internal stresses and defects, which makes it possible to decrease the temperatures of initiation of reactive interaction by ∼300°C. This interaction develops in the solid phase according to a slow diffusive mechanism leading to the formation of intermediate nickel aluminides and hindering the achievement of equilibrium phase composition. The microingot granules (∼80 wt % particles 100–400 μm in size) produced by melt spraying by gases (N, Ar) has the composition of the melt, but grain boundaries are depleted of aluminum in comparison with the volume. The NiAl powders (∼90 wt % particles <40 μm in size) produced by combined hydride-calcium reduction are characterized by a highly homogeneous nickel and aluminum distribution, and their composition is close to equilibrium. These two types of powders are selected as the initial material for investigating the compacting and production of NiAl-based alloys.

Rare-earth metals in nickel aluminide-based alloys: III. Structure and properties of multicomponent Ni3Al-based alloys

The possibility of increasing the life of heterophase cast light Ni3Al-based superalloys at temperatures higher than 0.8Tm of Ni3Al is studied when their directional structure is additionally stabilized by nanoprecipitates, which form upon additional alloying of these alloys by refractory and active metals, and using special methods for preparing and melting of an alloy charge. The effect of the method of introducing the main components and refractory reaction-active and surface-active alloying elements into Ni3Al-based cast superalloys, which are thermally stable natural composite materials of the eutectic type, on the structure-phase state and the life of these alloys is studied. When these alloys are melted, it is necessary to perform a set of measures to form particles of refractory oxide cores covered with the β-NiAl phase and, then, γ′prim-Ni3Al phase precipitates during solidification. The latter phase forms the outer shell of grain nuclei, which provides high thermal stability and hot strength of an intermetallic compound-based alloy. As a result, a modified structure that is stabilized by the nanoprecipitates of nickel and aluminum lanthanides and the nanoprecipitates of phases containing refractory metals is formed. This structure enhances the life of the alloy at 1000 °C by a factor of 1.8–2.5.

Effect of the Preparation Methods of Me+Al Powder Blends on the Compaction Behavior, Structure, Phase Transformations, and Properties of the Compacted Aluminides of Transition Metals

The effect of the methods for preparing powder blend by conventional milling (Me+Al particles), attriting (Me/Al/ Me/Al composite particles), and plating of Me by Al (Me/Al composite particles) on the structure, internal stress level, and compactability of the powder blends as well as the structure and phase composition of the MeAl compacts was investigated. The Me+Al→MeAl exothermic reaction of these powders occurs at T≥650°C. The reaction sintering (RS) or hightemperature self-propagation synthesis (HTSPS) occurs through the formation of Al melt (liquidphase reaction) and lower-melting MeAl3, Me2Al3, Me3Al aluminides. An increase in the level of internal stresses (IS) upon attritting activates RS at lower temperatures and decreases the value of high-temperature exoeffect. This suppresses the HTSPS development. A large high-temperature exoeffect ensures the intensity and completeness of the reaction interaction, and the application of pressure upon RS or HTSPS provides a high, near-theoretical density of the compacted material.

Development of RuAl-based cast alloys

Heterophase RuAl-based alloys with a β-RuAl + (1–20) vol % ɛ-Ru structure and alloyed with chromium, titanium, and hafnium are produced by vacuum arc melting. The effect of the method of preparing charge materials on their behavior during alloy formation is studied. The effect of a structure on the deformability of the alloys at room temperature is estimated. All alloys exhibit ductility and can be deformed by upsetting at a strain higher than 10–12%. The effect of deformation by upsetting at 800°C and subsequent heat treatment on the structure and properties of the alloys is investigated. The high-temperature strengths of RuAl-, TiAl-, Ni3Al-, and NiAl-based alloys are compared by measuring their hot hardnesses at temperatures up to 1100°C. The high-temperature strength characteristics of the RuAl-based alloys are higher than those of the Ni3Al-, TiAl-, and NiAl-based alloys over the entire temperature range under study; at temperatures ≥900°C, the hardness of ruthenium monoaluminide is higher than those of the other alloys by a factor of 2–4.

Effect of mechanical activation on the characteristics of ruthenium and aluminum powder mixtures

The effect of treatment in a high-energy mill-attritor on the structure of RuAl-based alloy powder mixtures and the exothermic effects in them is studied. The mechanical activation (MA) of aluminum and ruthenium powder mixtures is found to mill the conglomerates of hard disperse (0.5–2 μm) ruthenium particles in the initial mixtures and to produce composite granules. These granules consist of hard disperse ruthenium particles connected by plastic fcc aluminum particles. The structure of these granules differs from that of the layered granules that form during the MA of powder mixtures of two plastic fcc metals (nickel, aluminum). The cold working of the hard ruthenium particles, which have the hcp lattice and are deformed via twinning, occurs due to a decrease in the coherent domain size (to 120–80 nm) rather than to an increase in the dislocation density (as in the case of the MA of Ni-Al powders). Every granule contains all alloy (composite) components, including disperse or nanosize oxide particles, bound to the components that form an intermetallic matrix during reaction sintering. In granules of both types, MA increases the contact area between both metals entering into the reaction of RuAl (NiAl) formation and sharply decreases the diffusion path length of Al in Ru (Ni). This results in a decrease in the temperature of the onset of reaction alloy formation, which begins now in a solid phase, and in a decrease in the exothermic effect of the monoaluminide formation with the participation of a liquid phase (Al). MA for 15–16 h of powder mixtures provides a microuniform distribution of base and alloying elements and phases in the deformable alloys with an intermetallic matrix that are produced by reaction sintering.