Stoichko Antonov

Comparative study of high-temperature grain boundary engineering of two powder-processed low stacking-fault energy Ni-base superalloys

Results of high-temperature grain boundary engineering of an experimental, low stacking-fault energy (LSF) Ni-base superalloy were compared to a commercially available superalloy RR1000. Deformation mechanism maps for thermal-mechanical processing were compared along with the resulting length fractions of Σ3 boundaries following sub-solvus and super-solvus annealing. Compared to the hot deformation processing characteristics of RR1000, lowering the stacking-fault energy reduces dislocation mobility and expands the range of temperatures and strain rates over which dislocation-based plastic flow mechanisms were operative in the LSF alloy. For both alloys, processing conditions conducive to dislocation-based plasticity allowed for the storage of strain energy within the microstructure that was utilised for strain-induced boundary migration (SIBM) and the formation of Σ3 boundaries upon annealing. Based on the results of this study, alloying changes that serve to reduce the stacking-fault energy of Ni-base superalloys also make the alloys more amenable for grain boundary engineering techniques that utilised hot deformation.

MC Carbide Characterization in High Refractory Content Powder-Processed Ni-Based Superalloys

Carbide precipitates in Ni-based superalloys are considered to be desirable phases that can contribute to improving high-temperature properties as well as aid in microstructural refinement of the material; however, they can also serve as crack initiation sites during fatigue. To date, most of the knowledge pertaining to carbide formation has originated from assessments of cast and wrought Ni-based superalloys. As powder-processed Ni-based superalloys are becoming increasingly widespread, understanding the different mechanisms by which they form becomes increasingly important. Detailed characterization of MC carbides present in two experimental high Nb-content powder-processed Ni-based superalloys revealed that Hf additions affect the resultant carbide morphologies. This morphology difference was attributed to a higher magnitude of elastic strain energy along the interface associated with Hf being soluble in the MC carbide lattice. The composition of the MC carbides was studied through atom probe tomography and consisted of a complex carbonitride core, which was rich in Nb and with slight Hf segregation, surrounded by an Nb carbide shell. The characterization results of the segregation behavior of Hf in the MC carbides and the subsequent influence on their morphology were compared to density functional theory calculations and found to be in good agreement, suggesting that computational modeling can successfully be used to tailor carbide features.

Comparison of Thermodynamic Predictions and Experimental Observations on B Additions in Powder-Processed Ni-Based Superalloys Containing Elevated Concentrations of Nb

Boron additions to Ni-based superalloys are considered to be beneficial to the creep properties of the alloy, as boron has often been reported to increase grain boundary cohesion, increase ductility, and promote the formation of stable boride phases. Despite the importance, it is not well understood whether these improvements are associated with the presence of elemental boron or stable borides along the grain boundaries. In this investigation, two experimental powder-processed Ni-based superalloys containing elevated levels of Nb were found to exhibit increased solubility for B in the γ matrix when compared to similar commercial Ni-based superalloys. This resulted in an overall lower B concentration at grain boundaries that suppressed boride formation. As the predictive capability of CALPHAD database models for Ni-based superalloys have improved over the years, some discrepancies may still persist around compositionally heterogeneous features such as grain boundaries. Improved quantification of the characteristic partitioning of B as a function of the bulk alloy composition is required for understanding and predicting the stability of borides.

Design of Novel Precipitate-Strengthened Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Nb-Ni High-Entropy Superalloys

A series of non-equiatomic Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Nb-Ni high-entropy alloys, with varying levels of Co, Nb and Fe, were investigated in an effort to obtain microstructures similar to conventional Ni-based superalloys. Elevated levels of Co were observed to significantly decrease the solvus temperature of the γ′ precipitates. Both Nb and Co in excessive concentrations promoted the formation of Laves and NiAl phases that formed either during solidification and remained undissolved during homogenization or upon high-temperature aging. Lowering the content of Nb, Co, or Fe prevented the formation of the eutectic type Laves. In addition, lowering the Co content resulted in a higher number density and volume fraction of the γ′ precipitates, while increasing the Fe content led to the destabilization of the γ′ precipitates. Various aging treatments were performed which led to different size distributions of the strengthening phase. Results from the microstructural characterization and hardness property assessments of these high-entropy alloys were compared to a commercial, high-strength Ni-based superalloy RR1000. Potentially, precipitation-strengthened high-entropy alloys could find applications replacing Ni-based superalloys as structural materials in power generation applications.