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Understanding of the solution heat nickel-based superalloy. to satisfactory, then the possibility exists
treatment response of a second genera- CMSX-4, widely used in the aero- of altering the solution heat treatment
tion, single-crystal nickel-based superal- space industry, is considered a second- and, ultimately, saving money.
loy, CMSX-4, is necessary before the generation superalloy because it contains To fully evaluate the feasibility of
process can be shortened in an effort to approximately 3 wt.% Re.4 The solution altering the solution heat treatment,
save money. The current solution heat heat treatment for this alloy is long and three test groups were created. For the
treatment used for CMSX-4 involves high expensive, requiring almost a full as-cast group no heat treatments were
temperatures for long durations and can day at elevated temperatures between applied. The second group received
be quite expensive. This investigation 1,277C and 1,318C. Following this the standard solution and aging heat
helps to characterize the heat-treatment treatment, the material must be aged for treatments. The third group received
process for this alloy. The achieved an additional 26 hours. As furnace time the modified heat treatment and the
microstructure is described for both is costly, any reduction in temperature standard aging heat treatment. The
the as-cast and fully solution-annealed or duration of heating will reduce costs same aging heat treatment was used
conditions. In addition, an alternate, less significantly. This is especially true for for both groups that received solution
expensive heat treatment was selected high-output operations with thousands heat treatments in order to prevent
for its lower temperatures and shorter of parts requiring heat treatments. The differences due to the aging process.
overall duration. Microstructures goal of this investigation is to determine Experimental observation was gained
and differential thermal analysis are how this alloy will react to a modified through metallography, microprobe
presented for all three conditions. solution heat treatment. analysis, differential thermal analysis,
The modified heat treatment chosen and creep testing. See sidebar for
INTRODUCTION
for this study is the standard PWA 1480 experimental procedures.
Single-crystal nickel-based superal- solution heat treatment, which runs at
RESULTS
loys are known for their high strength and a significantly lower temperature and a
creep resistance at high temperatures. much shorter duration. It has only three
Microstructure
These alloys are used extensively in steps with slow ramp rates between hold
the aerospace industry for turbine temperatures, and requires about half the As-cast CMSX-4 has a two-phase /
blades and vanes in the hot section time of the standard heat treatment. If the microstructure. The microstructure is
of todays gas turbine engines.1 While modified heat treatment proves to be close cored, or segregated, with a dendrite pat-
these properties depend largely on the
alloy composition, they also rely on
proper heat treatments to bring out these
exceptional properties.2 Traditionally,
two heat treatments are used for nickel-
based superalloys. First is the solution
heat treatment, designed to homogenize
the microstructure and reduce the effects
of elemental segregation.3 The second
is one or more aging heat treatments,
designed to develop a cuboidal / a b
microstructure. This investigation 300 m 50 m
focuses on the effects of solution heat Figure 1. Photomicrographs of as-cast CMSX-4. (a) Optical micrograph of dendrites
treatments on a nickel-based superalloy with secondary and tertiary arms extending from the primary dendrite, as well as
at lower temperatures for a shorter / eutectic areas in between. (b) Scanning-electron micrograph of coarsening /
morphology approaching the eutectic region in the center. A dendrite core can be
duration, which may reduce costs. The seen to the left of the image.
material used for this study is CMSX-4,
a second-generation, single-crystal
Ni Cr Co Mo W Ta Re Al Ti Hf
Bal. 6.4 9.6 0.6 6.4 6.6 2.9 5.64 1.03 0.1
Heat Treatment c
10 m
Standard 1,277C/4 h 1,287C/2 h 1,296C/3 h 1,304C/3 h 1,313C/2 h 1,316C/2
h 1,318C/2 h/GFC* Figure 3. Scanning-electron micrographs
Modified 1,210C/2 h ramp 16.7C/h 1,285C/2 h ramp 1.67C/h 1,287C/0.5 h/GFC* following PWA 1480 solution heat treat-
Aging HT 1,140C/6 h/AC** 871C/20 h/AC** ment. (a) Partially dissolved / eutectic
region with coarse at boundaries. (b)
* Gas furnace quench Coarse structure at dendrite/eutectic
** Air cooled
boundary. (c) Following aging, in
dendrite is the proper size and shape,
however, a distinct boundary is present
Table C. Average Compositions of CMSX-4 between the dendrite and the eutectic.
Dendritic Pattern and Partitioning Coefficients (in wt.%)
Ni W Re Al Ti Ta Co Cr
large undissolved eutectic regions, a fine
Average Composition 61.42 6.40 2.90 5.64 1.03 6.60 9.60 6.40
Dendrite Core 60.06 7.91 5.82 4.94 0.59 4.23 10.34 6.10
structure is not formed throughout the
Interdendritic Area 61.94 5.86 3.63 5.71 0.92 6.23 9.79 5.94 microstructure (Figure 3b). Furthermore,
Eutectic Area 61.64 4.67 2.87 5.61 1.18 6.93 10.07 7.03 distinct boundaries are present and are
Partitioning Coefficient 0.97 1.69 2.03 0.88 0.50 0.61 1.03 0.87
observed between the dendrites and the
eutectic areas. Here, a rapid change
treatment is performed. Aging serves ment is considerably different from from fine to exceedingly coarse is
to slightly coarsen the to 0.5 m the standard solution heat treatment. readily noticeable (Figure 3c).
in size and to form the very uniform, The eutectic / regions are not fully The samples then undergo long-
cuboidal structure often associated with dissolved and large regions of extremely term, high-temperature exposure to test
(Figure 2b). coarse are present throughout the microstructural stability. Following the
The modified heat treatment is the material (Figure 3a). In addition, a high long-term exposure, metallography was
PWA 1480 heat treatment developed by degree of segregation is still evident performed on the test bars. The as-cast
Pratt & Whitney. The PWA 1480 treat- following the modified heat treatment. material was found to have significant
ment utilizes lower temperatures and The aging heat treatment does manage coarsening and topologically close
a shorter duration. The microstructure to form the proper structure within the packed (TCP) formation. Some of the
obtained by the modified heat treat- dendritic regions, however, due to the eutectic regions were dissolved to form a