Formation and Dissolution of γ’ Precipitates in IN792 Superalloy at Elevated Temperatures
Precipitation of γ’ phase in nickel-base superalloy IN792-5A was studied using in-situ Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS). It was found that additional precipitates are formed after reheating above 600 °C when the material is previously fast cooled (100 K/min) from 900 °C. The size distribution and volume fraction of the additional γ’ precipitates as well as of the already present medium-size precipitates in dependence on temperature were evaluated. The small precipitates can influence mechanical properties of the alloy, which exhibits an anomaly in the temperature dependence of the yield stress. Volume fraction of all precipitate populations above 900 °C was estimated as well.
Electron Beam Welding of IN792 DS: Effects of Pass Speed and PWHT on Microstructure and Hardness
Electron Beam (EB) welding has been used to realize seams on 2 mm-thick plates of directionally solidified (DS) IN792 superalloy. The first part of this work evidenced the importance of pre-heating the workpiece to avoid the formation of long cracks in the seam. The comparison of different pre-heating temperatures (PHT) and pass speeds (v) allowed the identification of optimal process parameters, namely PHT = 300 °C and v = 2.5 m/min. The microstructural features of the melted zone (MZ); the heat affected zone (HAZ), and base material (BM) were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-hardness tests. In the as-welded condition; the structure of directionally oriented grains was completely lost in MZ. The γ’ phase in MZ consisted of small (20–40 nm) round shaped particles and its total amount depended on both PHT and welding pass speed, whereas in HAZ, it was the same BM. Even if the amount of γ’ phase in MZ was lower than that of the as-received material, the nanometric size of the particles induced an increase in hardness. EDS examinations did not show relevant composition changes in the γ’ and γ phases. Post-welding heat treatments (PWHT) at 700 and 750 °C for two hours were performed on the best samples. After PWHTs, the amount of the ordered phase increased, and the effect was more pronounced at 750 °C, while the size of γ’ particles in MZ remained almost the same. The hardness profiles measured across the joints showed an upward shift, but peak-valley height was a little lower, indicating more homogeneous features in the different zones.
Comparison between Experimental Determination and Calculation of Elastic Properties of Nickel-Base Superalloys between 25 and 1200 °C
The elastic coefficients Sij of the single crystalline nickel base superalloy MAR-M002 mod. are determined as a function of temperature by the resonance method of Forster. The orientation–independent Sij are evaluated by the linear regression method. The application of averaging concepts allows the calculation of the elastic properties of the quasi-isotropic polycrystalline superalloys MAR-M247 and MAR-M200 at elevated service temperatures. The computed polycrystalline moduli of elasticity are compared with measured values.