Search Results (22)

A novel nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy was processed using two different thermal–mechanical processes, including hot isostatic pressed (As-HIP) and hipped + hot extruded + isothermally-forged (IF) heat treatments following two processed alloys, designated as As-HIP-HT and IF-HT. The objective of this study is to investigate the microstructure and mechanical property evolution in a nickel-based powder disk alloy fabricated by two processes. The findings revealed that both As-HIP and IF alloys underwent substantial recrystallization, with grains in the IF alloy being finer. Notable Prior Particle Boundaries (PPBs) were identified in the As-HIP samples. The IF-HT alloy exhibited a larger grain size due to a greater amount of stored energy. Significant differences in the secondary γ′ precipitates were observed between the two processes. More uniform substructures in the IF-HT alloy led to a higher density of finer γ′ precipitates. At temperatures of 704 °C and 760 °C, the As-HIP-HT alloy displayed a higher yield strength, but its plasticity significantly declined as temperature increased, while the IF-HT alloy showed a relatively stable plasticity. The presence of PPBs in the As-HIP-HT alloy minimally affected the alloy’s strength but reduced its plasticity. The creep property of the two processes was compared at 800 °C/330 MPa; the IF-HT alloy demonstrated lower creep rates and a longer creep life, which was attributed to its finer γ′ precipitates. Dominant creep deformation mechanisms in the As-HIP-HT alloy included Orowan dislocation loops and deformation twinning, while the primary mechanisms in the IF-HT alloy involved dislocation cutting through γ′ precipitates, dislocation slip, and micro-twins. These findings support the use of isostatic pressing + hot extrusion+ isothermally-forging process for critical high-temperature components. Full article

Powder nickel-based superalloy is the key material for hot-end components such as turbine disks and gas engine disks in aeroengines, and its microstructure uniformity has an important influence on the disks’ service performance. However, thermomechanical treatments make it easy to produce abnormally large grains (ALGs) in powder superalloy disks. In order to investigate the relationship between the hot deformation conditions and ALGs of powder superalloys, isothermal compression experiments under various deformation conditions were carried out and a FE-CA method was constructed to investigate the ALGs formed by the limited recrystallization mechanism. The results indicate a close relationship between the ALGs formed after the supersolvus treatment of this alloy and the equivalent stress after thermal deformation, and the local dissolution of the γ′ phase in supersolvus heat treatment does not produce ALGs. Full article

Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) is a near-net shape powder metallurgy (PM) technique, which has emerged as an efficient technique, offering precise control over the microstructure and properties of materials, particularly in high-performance alloys. This technology finds applications across a wide range of industries, such as aerospace, automotive, marine, oil and gas, medical, and tooling. This paper provides an overview of powder metallurgy and hot isostatic pressing, covering their principles, process parameters, and applications. Additionally, it conducts an analysis of PM-HIPed alloys, focusing on their microstructure and fatigue behavior to illustrate their potential in diverse engineering applications. Specifically, this paper focuses on nickel-based superalloys and martensitic tool steels. The diverse microstructural characteristics of these alloys provide valuable insights into the PM-HIP-induced fatigue defects and properties. Full article

Regulating the microstructure of powder metallurgy (P/M) nickel-based superalloys to achieve superior mechanical properties through heat treatment is a prevalent method in turbine disk design. However, in the case of dual-performance turbine disks, the complexity and non-uniformity of the heat treatment process present substantial challenges. The prediction of yield strength is typically derived from the analysis of microstructures under various heat treatment regimes. This method is time-consuming, expensive, and the accuracy often depends on the precision of microstructural characterization. This study successfully employed a coupled method of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and finite element analysis (FEA) to reveal the relationship between the heat treatment process and yield strength. The coupled method accurately predicted the location specified and temperature-dependent yield strength based on the heat treatment parameters such as holding temperatures and cooling rates. The root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage deviation (MAPD) for the training set are 50.37 and 3.77, respectively, while, for the testing set, they are 50.13 and 3.71, respectively. Furthermore, an integrated model of FEA and ANN is established using a Abaqus user subroutine. The integrated model can predict the yield strength based on temperature calculation results and automatically update material properties of the FEA model during the loading process simulation. This allows for an accurate calculation of the stress–strain state of the turbine disk during actual working conditions, aiding in locating areas of stress concentration, plastic deformation, and other critical regions, and provides a novel reliable reference for the rapid design of the turbine disk. Full article

Thermally induced pores (TIPs) are generally the source of fatigue crack initiation in the powder metallurgy (PM) Ni-based FGH96 superalloy. The effect of TIPs on fatigue crack initiation on the surface of the FGH96 superalloy was detected using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cause of fatigue crack deflection was studied using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The results indicated that there are two states of TIPs including isolated TIPs and clustered TIPs located at the grain boundary. The investigation of crack initiation and propagation around TIPs was conducted in detail through the comprehensive integration of experimental findings and computational results. For cracks initiated by isolated TIPs, the maximum equivalent size and the ratio of the vertical–parallel axis to the loading direction of the TIPs reveal a linear relationship, and both of them determine crack initiation. Regarding clustered TIPs, the constituent pores of the clustered TIPs will compete to initiate cracks based on the experimental results, and the largest pore will be more likely to initiate cracking. Moreover, the results showed that fatigue crack propagation can be hindered by hard-orientation grains and twins with a low Schmid factor (SF). Large-angle crack deflection due to twins with a low SF can significantly increase crack length and resistance to crack propagation. Full article

The material undergoes high temperature and high strain rate deformation process during the cutting process, which may induce the dynamic recrystallization behavior and result in the evolution of dynamic mechanical properties of the material to be machined. In this paper, the modified Johnson-Cook (J-C) model for nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy considering dynamic recrystallization behavior in high strain rate and temperature is proposed. The dynamic mechanical properties of the material under different strain rates and temperature conditions are obtained by quasi-static compression test and split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test. The coefficients of the modified J-C model are obtained by the linear regression method. The modified model is verified by comparison with experimental and model prediction results. The results show that the modified J-C model proposed in this paper can accurately describe the mechanical properties of nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloys at high temperatures and high strain rates. This provides help for studying the cutting mechanism and finite element simulation of nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy. Full article

This research investigates the microstructure and defects of powder metallurgy (PM) nickel-based superalloys prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The densification, microstructural evolution, and precipitate phase evolution processes of FGH96 superalloy after powder heat treatment (PHT) and sintering via SPS are specifically analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate that SPS technology, when applied to sinter at the sub-solidus temperature of the γ’ phase, effectively mitigates the formation of a prior particle boundary (PPB). Based on experimental and computational findings, it has been determined that the presence of elemental segregation and Al₂O₃ oxides on the surface of pre-alloyed powders leads to the preferential precipitation of MC-type carbides and Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ oxides in the sintering necks during the hot consolidation process, resulting in the formation of PPB. This study contributes to the understanding of microstructural modifications achieved through SPS technology, providing crucial information for optimizing sintering conditions and reducing the widespread occurrence of PPB, ultimately enhancing the material performance of PM nickel-based superalloys. Full article

In our previous works, the effects of forging and heat treatment variables on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties have been studied for an ingot-metallurgy Re-bearing nickel base superalloy. To overcome the issues associated with the production of large-scale ingots and fine-grained workpieces, in the present work, the effect of hot forging and heat treatment variables was studied in a Re-bearing nickel base superalloy prepared via powder metallurgy. The purpose of the study was to reach the properly balanced mechanical properties for the potential use of the superalloy as a disc material. The initial as-HIPed workpieces were subjected to different hot forging and post-forging heat treatment or only to heat treatment (no forging). For the processed workpieces, the recrystallization behavior, size, morphology and volume fraction of γ′ precipitates were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy followed by a study of mechanical properties. The most properly balanced mechanical properties (strength, ductility, creep resistance and creep rupture lifetime) were reached for the γ grain size of d_γ ≈ 13.6 µm. A finer and coarser γ grain size (down to d_γ ≈ 2.6 and up to d_γ ≈ 37.5 µm) even when superimposed with a higher volume fraction of dispersed secondary γ′ precipitates (in the case of d_γ = 27–37.5 µm) was associated with worse mechanical properties. Full article

Isothermal oxidation kinetics of a fourth-generation powder metallurgy FGH4108 nickel-based superalloy is investigated at 800 °C to 1100 °C by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). At 800 °C and 900 °C, the oxidation kinetic curves of the FGH4108 superalloy follow parabolic law. At 1000 °C, the oxidation kinetic curve follows cubic law. At 1100 °C, the oxidation kinetic curve has two distinct parts: the first part follows a parabolic law, and the second one obeys a linear law. Cross-sectional morphologies and elemental distributions show that the oxide film consists of two parts at 800 °C: the outer layer is a continuous dense protective Cr₂O₃ oxide film, and the inner layer is a discontinuous Al₂O₃ oxide layer. At 900–1100 °C, the oxides consist of three layers: the outermost is the oxides of Cr₂O₃ and TiO₂, the middle is a continuous oxide of Al₂O₃, and the innermost is dotted oxides of TiO_2. The thickness of the inner TiO₂ oxide layer increases with the increase of oxidation temperature. On this basis, the oxidation behavior of the FGH4108 superalloy at high temperatures is confirmed to be controlled by the diffusion of Cr, Al, Ti, and O. From the aspect of oxidation resistance, the long-term service temperature of the FGH4108 superalloy should not exceed 1000 °C. Full article

Inertia friction welded joints often present different microstructures than the base metal, and subsequent heat treatment processes are always needed to maintain superior performance. This study investigates the effect of semi-aging heat treatment after welding on the microstructure, residual stress, micro-hardness, and tensile properties of inertia friction welded FGH96 powder metallurgy superalloy using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and hardness and tensile tests. The results show that the semi-aging heat treatment after welding does not affect the grain size or grain morphology of the base metal. However, the recrystallization process can be further promoted in the weld nugget zone and transition zone. Meanwhile, the grain size is refined and the residual stress is significantly reduced in the welded joint after the same heat treatment. Under the synergetic strengthening effect of the γ′ phase, semi-aging heat treatment increased the micro-hardness of the weld nugget zone from 470 HV to 530 HV and improved the average tensile strength at room temperature by 118 MPa. These findings provide a reference for the selection of the heat treatment process after inertia friction welding of nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloys. Full article

In this paper, the powder metallurgy (P/M) Ni-based superalloy FGH4096 with an incomplete dynamic recrystallization structure was treated by a solution treatment at different temperatures, cooling methods, and holding times. The size, morphology, and distribution of grains and γ′ precipitates were characterized by an optical microscope (OM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Research results showed that with the increase of solution temperature from 1060 °C to 1100 °C, the degree of recrystallization increased continuously, the distribution of grain became uniform, and a large number of annealing twins were found. At the same time, the degree of redissolution of the primary γ′ precipitates at the grain boundary increased, and the size of secondary γ′ phase reprecipitated within the grain decreased. The morphology of the secondary γ′ precipitates is mainly spherical with a single distribution under air cooling (AC), while the morphology is near-spherical, cuboids, octets, petaloid, and dendrites with a bimodal distribution under furnace cooling (FC). The size of the γ′ precipitates decreased and the volume fraction increased with the extension of holding time at a higher solution temperature (1100 °C). Full article

The prior particle boundaries (PPBs), as one of the typical defects in the nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy, largely affect the microstructure and thus properties/performance of alloys. However, the effect of PPBs on the microstructure evolution in nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy during heat treatment is still unclear. In this paper, a comparative study of PPBs and their influence on grain growth during solution treatment in a novel nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy FGH4113A (i.e., WZ-A3 from Shenzhen Wedge, China) with/without hot extrusion (HEX) was conducted. Firstly, through a combination of scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques, PPBs in FGH4113A alloys were characterized to be Al₂O₃, carbides (TiC, M₆C, M₂₃C₆) and large-size γ′ particles. After HEX, the oxides broke, carbides deformed, and γ′ phase redistributed. After solution treatment at 950 °C, the TiC decomposed to M₆C and M₂₃C₆, while no such decomposition occurred in FGH4113A alloys after solution treated at 1050 °C and 1150 °C. Secondly, the evolution of grain size in FGH4113A alloys was analyzed using the electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. At 950 °C, the decomposition of carbide TiC resulted in the increase of PPBs and the enhancement of their pinning effect on grain boundaries, thus inhibiting grain growth. At 1050 °C, the nucleation rate due to recrystallization is comparable to the grain growth rate, leading to the stable distribution of grain size. While at 1150 °C, the higher temperature can induce a higher content of PPBs. However, the driving force for grain growth surpassed the pinning force of PPBs, making the grains quickly coarsen. Finally, it was concluded that the HEX process is an effective method to modify the microstructure of powder metallurgy superalloy after HIP that can heavily refine the grains in the powder metallurgy superalloys. Furthermore, based on the present experiment and analysis, an appropriate solution treatment mechanism (i.e., 1050 °C for 2 h) was proposed for FGH4113A alloys. Full article

Thermal-induced porosity (TIP) is one of the major defects in powder metallurgy (P/M) superalloys, and it seriously affects the performance of P/M superalloys. The effects of solution heat treatment on the growth of the TIP of the nickel-based P/M superalloy FGH97 were investigated. A series of solution heat treatment tests were carried out at holding temperatures ranging from 1150 to 1200 °C, with holding times ranging from 0.5 to 8 h. The results showed that the holding time, temperature, and the initial volume of porosity are the primary factors influencing porosity growth, and the volume fraction of TIPs increases by increasing the temperature or extending the holding time. The porosity growth models were constructed based on the porosity statistics combined with a nonlinear fitting method. To evaluate the accuracy of the proposed models, the correlation coefficient ($R$) and average absolute relative error ($AARE$) were calculated between the predicted and experimental values. The unbiased $AARE$ values were 2.06% and 3.99% for the average value of TIP and the worst value of TIP, respectively, which imply that the proposed porosity growth models have greater accuracy and can be used to illustrate TIP behavior in solution heat treatment. Full article

The microstructural effect, including γ’ precipitate morphology and twin grains, of dwell fatigue behavior in a powder metallurgy nickel-based superalloy, was studied using crystal plasticity modeling. Strain rate and dwell sensitivities of 923 K were quantitatively investigated. The strain accumulations, under normal and dwell fatigue loading, showed γ’ precipitate size-dependence. Strong load shedding can be observed between parent and twin grains, which was attributed to local plastic heterogeneity. Local stress and strain evolution are both faster than the macroscopic values, which threatens the safety of engine components. Full article

Second phase particles (SPP) play an essential role in controlling grain size and properties of polycrystalline nickel base superalloys. The understanding of the behavior of these precipitates is of prime importance in predicting microstructure evolutions. The dissolution kinetics of the primary ${\gamma }^{\prime }$ precipitates during subsolvus solution treatments were investigated for three nickel base superalloys (René 65, $AD730$ and $N19$). A temperature-time codependency equation was established to describe the evolution of primary ${\gamma }^{\prime }$ precipitates of each material using experimental data, the $Thermo$-$Calc$ software and the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov (JMAK) model. The dissolution kinetics of precipitates was also simulated using the level-set (LS) method and the former phenomenological model. The precipitates are represented using an additional LS function and a numerical treatment around grain boundaries in the vicinity of the precipitates is applied to reproduce their pinning pressure correctly. Thus, considering the actual precipitate dissolution, these simulations aim to predict grain size evolution in the transient and stable states. Furthermore, it is illustrated how a population of Prior Particle Boundaries (PPB) particles can be considered in the numerical framework in order to reproduce the grain size evolution in the powder metallurgy N19 superalloy. The proposed full-field strategy is validated and the obtained results are in good agreement with experimental data regarding the precipitates and grain size. Full article