Mechanical properties of Ir-Nb alloys containing Ni and Al

Two alloys made by adding 5 or 10 at. pct, respectively, of Ni-18.9 at. pct Al to an Ir-15 at. pct Nb alloy were investigated. The microstructure and compressive strength at temperatures between room temperature and 1800 °C were investigated to evaluate the potential of these alloys for ultra-high-temperature use. Their microstructural evolution indicated that the two alloys formed fcc and L1₂-Ir₃Nb two-phase structures. The fcc and L1₂ two-phase structures were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The 0.2 pct flow stresses were above 1000 MPa at temperatures up to 1200 °C, about 150 MPa at 1500 °C, and over 100 MPa at 1800 °C. The strength of the quaternary Ir-base alloys at 1200 °C was even higher than that of Ir-base binary and ternary alloys. And the strength of quaternary Ir-Nb-Ni-Al was equivalent to that of the Ir-15 at. pct Nb binary alloy at 1800 °C. The compressive ductility of quaternary (around 20 pct) was improved drastically compared with that of the Ir-base binary alloy (lower than 10 pct) and the ternary Ir-base alloys (about 11 pct). An excellent balance of high-temperature strength and ductility was obtained in the alloy with 10 at. pct Ni-18.9 at. pct Al. The effect of Ni and Al on the strength of the Ir-Nb binary alloy is discussed.     

Design of quaternary Ir-Nb-Ni-Al refractory superalloys

We propose a method for developing new quaternary Ir-Nb-Ni-Al refractory superalloys for ultra-high-temperature uses, by mixing two types of binary alloys, Ir-20 at. pct Nb and Ni-16.8 at. pct Al, which contain fcc/L1₂ two-phase coherent structures. For alloys of various Ir-Nb/Ni-Al compositions, we analyzed the microstructure and measured the compressive strengths. Phase analysis indicated that three-phase equilibria—fcc, Ir₃Nb-L1₂, and Ni₃Al-L1₂—existed in Ir-5Nb-62.4Ni-12.6Al (at. pct) (alloy A), Ir-10Nb-41.6Ni-8.4Al (at. pct) (alloy B), and Ir-15Nb-20.8Ni-4.2Al (at. pct) (alloy C) at 1400 °C; at 1300 °C, three phase equilibria—fcc, Ir₃Nb, and Ni₃Al—existed in alloys A and C and four-phase equilibria—fcc, Ir₃Nb, Ni₃Al, and IrAl-B2—existed in alloy B. The fcc/L1₂ coherent structure was examined by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At a temperature of 1200 °C, the compressive strength of these quaternary alloys was between 130 and 350 MPa, which was higher than that of commercial Ni-based superalloys, such as MarM247 (50 MPa), and lower than that of Ir-based binary alloys (500 MPa). Compared to Ir-based alloys, the compressive strain of these quaternary alloys was greatly improved. The potential of the quaternary alloys for ultra-high-temperature use is also discussed.     

Effect of Ti Addition and Microstructural Evolution on Toughening and Strengthening Behavior of as Cast or Annealed Nb–Si–Mo Based Hypoeutectic and Hypereutectic Alloys

Room temperature fracture toughness along with compressive deformation behavior at both room and high temperatures (900 °C, 1000 °C and 1100 °C) has been evaluated for ternary or quaternary hypoeutectic (Nb–12Si–5Mo and Nb–12Si–5Mo–20Ti) and hypereutectic (Nb–19Si–5Mo and Nb–19Si–5Mo–20Ti) Nb-silicide based intermetallic alloys to examine the effects of composition, microstructure, and annealing (100 hours at 1500 °C). On Ti-addition and annealing, the fracture toughness has increased by up to ~ 75 and ~ 63 pct, respectively with ~ 14 MPa√m being recorded for the annealed Nb–12Si–5Mo–20Ti alloy. Toughening is ascribed to formation of non-lamellar eutectic with coarse Nb_ss, which contributes to crack path tortuosity by bridging, arrest, branching and deflection of cracks. The room temperature compressive strengths are found as ~ 2200 to 2400 MPa for as-cast alloys, and ~ 1700 to 2000 MPa after annealing with the strength reduction being higher for the hypoeutectic compositions due to larger Nb_ss content. Further, the compressive ductility has varied from 5.7 to 6.5 pct. The fracture surfaces obtained from room temperature compression tests have revealed evidence of brittle failure with cleavage facets and river patterns in Nb_ss along with its decohesion at non-lamellar eutectic. The compressive yield stress decreases with increase in test temperature, with the hypoeutectic alloys exhibiting higher strength retention indicating the predominant role of solid solution strengthening of Nb_ss. The flow curves obtained from high temperature compression tests show initial work hardening, followed by a steady state regime indicating dynamic recovery involving the formation of low angle grain boundaries in the Nb_ss, as confirmed by electron backscattered diffraction of the annealed Nb–12Si–5Mo alloy compression tested at 1100 °C.

     

Creep behaviors of an Ir-23Nb alloy at ultra-high temperatures

The ultra-high-temperature creep behaviors of an Ir-base, Ir-23Nb (in at. pct), two-phase refractory superalloy have been investigated. The compression creep experiments were performed at temperatures from 1650 °C to 1800 °C at initial applied stresses from 49 to 200 MPa. The results show that Ir-23Nb alloy has higher creep resistance and longer creep life in comparison to Ir-17Nb alloy under the same experimental conditions. The steady-state creep behavior can be described in terms of power-law creep with the apparent stress exponent of 4.5 and apparent activation energy of 653 kJ/mol. Basing on the investigation, the possible reasons for the great improvement on the creep resistance and creep life in Ir-23Nb alloy are discussed. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Fundamentals of Structural Intermetallics,” presented at the 2002 TMS Annual Meeting, February 21–27, 2002, in Seattle, Washington, under the auspices of the ASM and TMS Joint Committee on Mechanical Behavior of Materials.     

Microstructure of Precipitation Hardenable Powder Metallurgical Ni Alloys Containing 35 to 45 pct Cr and 3.5 to 6 pct Nb

Ni-based alloys with high Cr contents are not only known for their excellent high temperature and hot corrosion resistance, but are also known for poor mechanical properties and difficult workability. Powder metallurgical (PM) manufacturing of alloys may overcome several of the shortcomings encountered in materials manufacturing involving solidification. In the present work, six PM Ni-based alloys containing 35 to 45 wt pct Cr and 3.5 to 6 wt pct Nb were produced and compacted via hot isostatic pressing. Samples were heat treated for up to 1656 hours at either 923 K or 973 K (650 °C or 700 °C), and the microstructures and mechanical properties were quantified and compared to thermodynamic calculations. For the majority of the investigated alloys, the high Cr and Nb contents caused development of primary populations of globular α-Cr and δ (Ni₃Nb). Transmission electron microscopy of selected alloys confirmed the additional presence of metastable γ″ (Ni₃Nb). A co-dependent growth morphology was found, where the preferred growth direction of γ″, the {001} planes of γ-Ni, caused precipitates of both α-Cr and δ to appear in the form of mutually perpendicular oriented disks or plates. Solution heat treatment at 1373 K (1100 °C) followed by aging at 973 K (700 °C) produced a significant strength increase for all alloys, and an aged yield strength of 990 MPa combined with an elongation of 21 pct is documented for Ni 40 wt pct Cr 3.5 wt pct Nb.     

Structure and properties of a rapidly solidified Al-Li-Mn-Zr alloy for high-temperature applications: Part II. spray atomization and deposition processing

A new Al-Li alloy containing 2.3 wt pct Li, 6.5 wt pct Mn, and 0.65 wt pet Zr for high-temperature applications has been processed by a rapid solidification (RS) technique (as compacts by spray atomization and deposition) and then thermomechanically treated by hot extrusion. As-received and thermomechanically treated deposits were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Phase analyses in the as-processed materials revealed the presence of two Mn phases (Al₄Mn and Al₆Mn), one Zr phase (Al₃Zr), two Li phases (the stable AlLi and the metastable Al₃Li), and the aAl solid solution with high excess in Mn solubility (up to close the nominal composition in the as-atomized powders). As-deposited and extruded pieces were given heating treatments at 430 °C and 530 °C. A two-step aging treatment was practiced, to check for the optimal (for tensile properties) aging procedure, which was found to be the following: solutioning at 430 °C for 1 hour and water quenching + a first-step aging at 120 °C for 12 hours + a second-step aging at 175 °C for 15 hours. The mechanical properties, at room and elevated temperatures, of the hot extruded deposits are compared, following the optimal solutioning and aging treatments. The room-temperature (RT) strength of the proposed alloy is distinctly better for the as-deposited specimens (highest yield strength, 320 MPa) than for the as-atomized (highest yield strength, 215 MPa), though less than 65 pct of the RT strength is conserved at 250 °C. Ultimate strengths are quite comparable (in the 420 to 470 MPa range). Ductilities at RTs are in the low 1.5 to 2.5 pct range and show no improvement over other Al-Li alloys.     

Part III. The tensile behavior of Ti-Al-Nb O+Bcc orthorhombic alloys

The tensile behavior of Ti-Al-Nb alloys with Al concentrations between 12 and 26 at. pct and Nb concentrations between 22 and 38 at. pct has been investigated for temperatures between 25 °C and 650 °C. Several microstructural features were evaluated in an attempt to identify microstructure-property relationships. In particular, the effects of the phase volume fraction, composition, morphology, and grain size were examined. In addition, the constitutive properties were evaluated using single-phase microstructures, and the results provided insight into the microstructure-property relationships of the two-phase orthorhombic (O)+body-centered-cubic (bcc) microstructures. The disordered fully-bcc (β) Ti-12Al-38Nb microstructure, produced through heat treatment above the β-transus, exhibited a room-temperature (RT) elongation of more than 27 pct and the lowest yield strength (YS-553 MPa) of all the alloys studied. The ordered fully-bcc (B2) microstructures, produced through supertransus heat treatment of near-Ti₂AlNb alloys, exhibited fracture strengths up to 672 MPa and low elongations-to-failure (ε _f≤0.6 pct). Thus, increasing the Al content, which favors ordering of the bcc structure, significantly reduces the ductility of the bcc phase. Similar to the ordered B2 microstructure, the ordered fully-O Ti₂AlNb microstructures exhibited intermediate RT strength (≤704 MPa) and ε _f (≤1 pct). The O+bcc microstructures tended to exhibit strengths greater than both the fully-O and fully-bcc microstructures, and this was attributed to the finer grain sizes in the two-phase microstructures compared to their single-phase counterparts. A RT of 1125 MPa was measured for the finest-grained two-phase microstructure. The O+bcc microstructures containing greater bcc-phase volume fractions tended to exhibit greater elongations yet poorer elevated-temperature strengths. A higher Al content typically resulted in larger elevated-temperature strengths. For the Ti-12Al-38Nb bcc-dominated microstructures, fine O platelets, which precipitated during aging, provided significant strengthening and a reduction in ε _f for the Ti-12Al-38Nb alloy. However, large RT elongations (ε _f>12 pct) were maintained for aged Ti-12Al-38Nb microstructures, which contained 28 vol pct O phase. Morphology did not appear to play a dominant role, as fully-lath and fully-equiaxed two-phase microstructures containing the same phase volume fractions exhibited similar RT tensile properties. The slip and cracking observations provided evidence for the ductile and brittle characteristics of the single-phase microstructures, and the slip compatibility exhibited between the two phases is an important part of why O+bcc microstructures achieve attractive strengths and elongations. The YS vs temperature behavior is discussed in light of other Ti-alloy systems.     

Ir-Nb-Si ternary refractory superalloys with a three-phase Fcc/L12/silicide structure for high-temperature applications: Phase and microstructural evolution

To find a new phase with the potential to improve the high-temperature strength of Ir-based superalloys, the novel idea of introducing silicides into the Ir-Nb binary was implemented. Hypoeutectic Ir-10Nb, eutectic Ir-16Nb, and hypereutectic Ir-25Nb alloys were used as bases, and 5 mol pct Si was added through the removal of Ir. XRD (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) revealed the formation of a three-phase fcc/L1₂/silicide microstructure in the Ir-Nb-Si ternary after Si addition. The type of silicide formed was dependent on heat-treated temperatures and Nb content. After heat treatment at 1750 °C and 1600 °C, a tie-triangle composed of fcc/L1₂/silicide (Ir₂Si) appeared in the Ir-10Nb-5Si and Ir-16Nb-5Si alloys; in the Ir-25Nb-5Si alloy, an L1₂ and silicide (Ir,Nb)₂Si tie-line was observed. In the as-cast and 1300 °C heat-treated samples, the Ir-10Nb-5Si microstructure changed to a two-phase fcc/silicide structure, while the Ir-16Nb-5Si alloy maintained a three-phase fcc/L1₂/silicide structure. The Ir-25Nb-5Si alloy, however, had the same phases as that at 1600 °C. Silicides typically continuously or discontinuously distribute along the interdendritic regions or grain boundaries of the fcc or the L1₂ phase. With the addition of Si, it was found that both the eutectic point and solid solubility of Nb in Ir would shift toward Ir.     

Stability and mechanical properties of some metastable austenitic steels

The relation between austenite stability and the tensile properties, as affected by testing temperature and processing, was studied for a series of alloys of increasing compositional complexity, viz., the Fe-Ni, Fe-Ni-C, and Fe-Ni-Cr-Mn-C systems. The “stress” and “strain induced” modes of transformation to martensite differed significantly in their influence on the shape of the stress-strain curve. Under certain testing conditions, unusually low yield strengths and high work hardening rates were observed in some of these alloys. Maxima in yield strengths were observed for all austenitic alloys containing carbon that were processed at deformation temperatures between 200° and 300°C. Evidence gleaned from electron microscopy and magnetic and mechanical testing suggested that the maxima were due to the formation of carbon atmospheres on dislocations during processing. The influence of austenite stability on the mechanical properties of steels, varied by systematic changes in test temperature (22° to -196°C), composition (8 pct, 12 pct, 16 pct, and 21 pct Ni) and deformation temperature (25° to 450°C), was evaluated quantitatively. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Behaviors of an Nb-16Si-22Ti-2Al-2Hf Alloy with 2 and 17 at. pct Cr Additions at Room and/or High Temperatures

X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the microstructures and orientation relationships (ORs) of Nb-16Si-22Ti-2Al-2Hf-(2,17)Cr alloys (hereafter referred to as 2Cr and 17Cr alloys, respectively). The mechanical properties of the two alloys at room and/or high temperatures were compared. The 2Cr alloy comprised Nb_SS and (α + β)-Nb₅Si₃ phases, while the 17Cr alloy consisted of Nb_SS, (α + β)-Nb₅Si₃ and Laves Cr₂Nb phases with a C15 structure. The β-Nb₅Si₃ and Laves Cr₂Nb phases exhibited variable ORs with respect to the Nb_SS phase. The Laves Cr₂Nb phase was found to play a negative role on the fracture toughness at room temperature and on the compressive strength at temperatures from 1523 K to 1623 K (1250 °C to 1350 °C). The fracture toughness and the compressive yield strength at 1623 K (1350 °C) both decreased from 14.4 to 10.3 MPa m^1/2 and from 300 to 85 MPa, respectively, when the nominal Cr content increased from 2 to 17 at. pct. Finally, the fracture modes of these typical Nb_SS/Nb₅Si₃ and Nb_SS/Nb₅Si₃/Cr₂Nb microstructures under bending and compression conditions at room and high temperatures were investigated and discussed.     

Optimization of composition and heat treatment of age-hardened Pt−Al−Cr−Ni alloys

The objective of this work was to produce an alloy showing a microstructure similar to Ni-base superalloys, but with Pt as base metal. The Pt-base alloys with various contents of Al, Cr, and Ni were are melted. Solution heat treatments at 1450 °C followed by water quenching lead to single-phase alloys. Ageing at 1000 °C resulted in the precipitation of L1₂ ordered particles. An alloy with 11 at. pct Al, 3 at. pct Cr, 6 at. pct Ni, and Pt balance shows cuboidal precipitates with edge lengths of 200 to 500 nm along with a volume fraction of 23 pct and a lattice misfit of −0.1 pct. Aging at 1100 °C leads to coarsening of precipitates. Volume fraction and morphology of the precipitates were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. X-ray diffraction as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to verity the crystal structure. M. Huller, formerly with Metallic Materials, University Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany     

Microstructures and High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of a Martensitic Heat-Resistant Stainless Steel 403Nb Processed by Thermo-Mechanical Treatment

Thermo-mechanical treatments (TMT) at different rolling deformation temperatures were utilized to process a martensitic heat-resistant stainless steel 403Nb containing 12 wt pct Cr and small additions of Nb and V. Microstructures and mechanical properties at room and elevated temperatures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and hardness, tensile, and creep tests. The results showed that high-temperature mechanical behavior after TMT can be greatly improved and microstructures with refined martensitic lath and finely dispersed nanosized MX carbides could be produced. The particle sizes of M₂₃C₆ and MX carbides in 403Nb steel after conventional normalizing and tempering (NT) treatments are about 50 to 160 and 10 to 20 nm, respectively, while those after TMT at 1123 K (850 °C) and subsequent tempering at 923 K (650 °C) for 2 hours reach about 25 to 85 and 5 to 10 nm, respectively. Under the condition of 260 MPa and 873 K (600 °C), the tensile creep rupture life of 403Nb steel after TMT at 1123 K (850 °C) is 455 hours, more than 3 times that after conventional NT processes. The mechanisms for improving mechanical properties at elevated temperature were analyzed in association with the existence of finely dispersed nanosized MX particles within martensitic lath. It is the nanosized MX particles having the higher stability at elevated temperature that assist both dislocation hardening and sub-grain hardening for longer duration by pinning the movement of dislocations and sub-grain boundary migration.     

Fatigue deformation of TiAl base alloys

The fatigue behavior of Ti-36.3 wt pct Al and Ti-36.2 wt pct Al-4.65 wt pct Nb alloys was studied in the temperature range room temperature to 900°C. The microstructures of the alloys tested consisted predominantly of γ phase (TiAl) with a small volume fraction of γ phase (Ti₃Al) distributed in lamellar form. The alloys were tested to failure in alternate tension-compression fatigue at several constant load amplitudes with zero mean stress. Fracture modes and substructural changes resulting from fatigue deformation were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron miscroscopy respectively. The ratio of fatigue strength (at 10⁶ cycles) to ultimate tensile strength was found to be in the range 0.5 to 0.8 over the range of temperatures tested. The predominant mode of fracture changed from cleavage type at room temperature to intergranular type at temperatures above 600°C. The fatigue microstructure at low temperatures consisted of a high density of a/3 [111] faults and dislocation debris of predominantly a/2 [110] and a/2 [110] Burger's vectors with no preferential alignment of dislocations. At high temperatures, a dislocation braid structure consisting of all 〈110〉 slip vectors was observed. The changes in fracture behavior with temperature correlated well with changes in dislocation substructure developed during fatigue deformation. S. M. L. SASTRY was formerly NRC Research Associate in the Air Force Materials Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH     

Laves phase precipitation in Fe-Ta alloys

Development of an iron-base alloy hardened by particles of an intermetallic compound rather than a carbide is a desirable goal because of the greater thermal stability of such a dispersion. As a first step in the development of iron-base alloys hardened with the Laves phase, structural studies of binary Fe-Ta alloys have been undertaken. The structures of two phase Fe-Ta alloys have been studied by means of optical and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron beam microprobe analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The hardness change as a function of time at 600°, 700°, and 800°C has been determined for binary alloys with 1 at. pct Ta and 2 at. pct Ta in iron. Also, the uniaxial tensile strengths of solution treated, quenched, and aged samples have been determined. These studies suggest that the compound, Fe₂Ta, is isomorphous with the structure type, MgZn₂, (C14) and has a range of compositional homogeneity. The latter results correspond with the predictions of the Engel-Brewer correlation. Also, it has been found that precipitation occurs at grain boundaries, dislocations, and randomly throughout the matrix. Particles which form at dislocations have a (100)α habit plane; whereas a (110)α habit plane has been reported by others^1,3 for the hexagonal Laves phase in α iron. Hypereutectoid composition alloys quenched from the ö phase field have a completely retained § structure. Isothermal decomposition at 600°, 700°, and 800°C of alloys with the retained § structure results in a sizable hardness increase in 2 at. pct Ta alloys but only a modest increase in 1 at. pct Ta alloys. Brittle fracture of aged tensile specimens tested at room temperature reveals that the ductile-brittle transition temperature in tension is above room temperature.     

Tensile properties and creep behavior of a new Ti-Al-Nb intermetallic alloy with an O+<Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript> microstructure

A new Ti-Al-Nb alloy with a composition of Ti-27.5Al-13Nb (at. pct) was proposed. The density of this alloy was 4.7 g/cm³, which is about 13 pct lower than that for O+B2 alloys. After hot processing, the alloy was heat treated under two conditions: directly aged at 850 °C (DA treatment), or cooled from above the β-transus temperature with a cooling rate of 3 °C/min and then aged at 850 °C (BCA treatment). Under the present heat-treatment conditions, the phase constitution was primarily O+α ₂. A very fine Widmanstätten microstructure was obtained after the DA treatment, while a microstructure with coarse O plates was obtained after the BCA treatment. The tensile properties were investigated at 20 °C to 950 °C, and the creep behavior was investigated at 650 °C to 750 °C/90 to 380 MPa. The elongation to fracture at room temperature for the DA-treated tensile specimen was as high as 2.6 pct, despite the high Al content in this alloy. In comparison with the O+B2 ternary alloys, this alloy showed higher specific proof stress at temperatures over 800 °C and higher creep strength. The stress exponent and the apparent activation energy for creep were calculated. The fracture mechanism was discussed.     

The vanadium-platinum constitution diagram

The system V-Pt was investigated over the entire composition range by metallography, X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe studies. There are at least four equilibrium intermediate phases in this system and they are stable to progressively higher temperatures with increasing vanadium concentration. The phases which have been observed are: γ^′, cubic, Cu₃Au type; θ, tetragonal, TiAl₃ type; δ, orthorhombic, MoPt₂ type; ζ, orthorhombic, AuCd type; and β, cubic, Cr₃Si type (A15). The gg^′ phase is possibly metastable. A very stable ribbon-like growth of ζ phase in the fcc platinum terminal solid solution has been observed in alloys containing about 43 at. pct V. The platinum terminal solid solution forms a congruent melting maximum at about 1805°C. A eutectic reaction occurs at 1720° ± 10°C and a peritectic reaction is indicated at 1800° ± 10°C. Vanadium is soluble in the fcc platinum terminal solid solution up to about 57 at. pct at 1720°C. Platinum dissolves only to the extent of about 12 at. pct at 1800°C in bcc α-V.     

On the fracture and fatigue properties of Mo-Mo<Subscript>3</Subscript>Si-Mo<Subscript>5</Subscript>SiB<Subscript>2</Subscript> refractory intermetallic alloys at ambient to elevated temperatures (25 °C to 1300 °C)

The need for structural materials with high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance coupled with adequate lower-temperature toughness for potential use at temperatures above ∼1000 °C has remained a persistent challenge in materials science. In this work, one promising class of intermetallic alloys is examined, namely, boron-containing molybdenum silicides, with compositions in the range Mo (bal), 12 to 17 at. pct Si, 8.5 at. pct B, processed using both ingot (I/M) and powder (P/M) metallurgy methods. Specifically, the oxidation (“pesting”), fracture toughness, and fatigue-crack propagation resistance of four such alloys, which consisted of ∼21 to 38 vol. pct α-Mo phase in an intermetallic matrix of Mo₃Si and Mo₅SiB₂ (T₂), were characterized at temperatures between 25 °C and 1300 °C. The boron additions were found to confer improved “pest” resistance (at 400 °C to 900 °C) as compared to unmodified molybdenum silicides, such as Mo₅Si₃. Moreover, although the fracture and fatigue properties of the finer-scale P/M alloys were only marginally better than those of MoSi₂, for the I/M processed microstructures with coarse distributions of the α-Mo phase, fracture toughness properties were far superior, rising from values above 7 MPa √m at ambient temperatures to almost 12 MPa √m at 1300 °C. Similarly, the fatigue-crack propagation resistance was significantly better than that of MoSi₂, with fatigue threshold values roughly 70 pct of the toughness, i.e., rising from over 5 MPa √m at 25 °C to ∼8 MPa √m at 1300 °C. These results, in particular, that the toughness and cyclic crack-growth resistance actually increased with increasing temperature, are discussed in terms of the salient mechanisms of toughening in Mo-Si-B alloys and the specific role of microstructure.     

The effects of molybdenum and aluminum on the hot corrosion (sulfidation) behavior of experimental nickel-base superalloys

The hot corrosion behavior of a series of wrought nickel-base superalloys containing approximately 13 wt pct Cr was studied as a function of molybdenum content from 0 to 8 wt pct Mo in each of four Al + Ti levels (3 pct Al, 41/2 pet Al, 6 pct Al, and 1 pct Al-31/2 pct Ti). Specimens were tested in a burner rig with a 5 ppm sea salt concentration in a 1 pct sulfur diesel fuel burned at a 30:1 air-to-fuel ratio and were cycled between 1600°F (870°C) or 1800°F (980°C) and room temperature every 50 h during a 1000-h test. It was found that molybdenum significantly reduced the amount of hot corrosion attack at 1600°F (870°C) for the three aluminum-containing series of alloys. For the titanium-containing series of alloys tested at 1600°F (870°C) and all alloys exposed at 1800°F (980°C), molybdenum exerted little influence on hot corrosion behavior. Aluminum was found to markedly increase sulfidation rates at both 1600°F (870°C) and 1800°F (980°C) for all molybdenum levels. Titanium appeared to be beneficial to the hot corrosion resistance of these alloys at 1600°F (870°C) and detrimental at 1800°F (980°C). It was further noted that 1600°F (870°C) represented a more severe sulfidation condition than 1800°F (980°C) under these test conditions.     

Preparation and properties of some ODS Fe-Cr-Al alloys

Several alloys based on Fe-25Cr-6Al and Fe-25Cr-11Al (wt pct) with additions of yttrium, Al₂O₃, and Y₂O₃ have been prepared by mechanical alloying of elemental, master alloy and oxide powders. The powders were consolidated by extrusion at 1000°C with a reduction ratio of 36:1. The resulting oxide contents were all approximately either 3 vol pct or 8 vol pct of mixed Al₂O₃-Y₂O₃ oxides or of Al₂O₃. The alloys exhibited substantial ductility at 600°C: an alloy containing 3 vol pct oxide could be readily warm worked to sheet without intermediate annealing; an 8 vol pct alloy required intermediate annealing at 1100°C. The 3 vol pct alloys could be recrystallized to produce large elongated grains by isothermal annealing of as-extruded material at 1450°C, but the high temperature strength properties were not improved. However, these alloys, together with some of the 8 vol pct materials, could be more readily recrystallized after rod (or sheet) rolling; sub-stantially improved tensile and stress rupture properties were obtained following 9 pct rod rolling at 620°C and isothermal annealing for 2 h at 1350°C. In this condition, the rup-ture strengths of selected alloys at 1000 and 1100°C were superior to those of competitive nickel-and cobalt-base superalloys. The oxidation resistance of all the alloys was ex-cellent. F. G. WILSON and C. D. DESFORGES, formerly with Fulmer Re-search Institute     

Precipitation of heusler phase (Ni<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiAl) from B2-TiNi in Ni-Ti-Al and Ni-Ti-Al-X (X=Hf,Zr) alloys

The precipitation of Heusler phase (L2₁: Ni₂TiAl) from a supersaturated B2 (TiNi-based) matrix at 600°C and 800°C is studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), analytical electron microscopy (AEM), and three-dimensional atom-probe (3DAP) microscopy in Ni-Ti-Al and Ni-Ti-Al-X (X=Hf and Zr) alloys. The B2/L2₁ two-phase system, with ordered structures based on the bcc lattice, is chosen for its microstructural analogy to the classical γ/γ′ system with an fcc lattice. Knowledge of the temperature-dependent partitioning of alloying elements and their atomic volumes in the B2-TiNi and L2₁ phases is desired to support design of high-performance shape-memory alloys (SMAs) with controlled misfit strain and transformation temperatures. After aging at 600°C for up to 2000 hours, the L2₁ precipitates remain fully coherent at a particle diameter of ∼20 nm. The observed effects of a misfit strain of −1.9 pct on the microstructure of the B2/L2₁ system are similar to those theoretically predicted and experimentally observed for the γ/γ′ system. The similarities are demonstrated in terms of the precipitate shape, spatial distribution, and minimum distance of separation between L2₁ precipitates. However, all these effects disappear after aging the alloys at 800°C for 1000 hours, when the L2₁ precipitates become semicoherent at particle diameters above ∼400 nm. A simple analysis of the size evolution of L2₁ precipitates after an isochronal aging (1000 hours) experiment suggests that they follow coarsening kinetics at 600°C and growth kinetics at 800°C, consistent with the Langer-Schwartz theory of precipitation kinetics, which predicts that a high supersaturation suppresses the growth regime. Microanalysis using AEM and 3DAP microscopy define the TiNi-Ni₂TiAl phase boundaries at 800°C and 600°C. At 800°C, Hf and Zr partition to the B2-TiNi, while at 600°C, they partition slightly to the L2₁ phase, reducing the lattice misfit to −1.7 and −0.011 pct, respectively, and partition strongly to the metastable phase Ti₂Ni₃. To describe the composition dependence of the lattice parameter of multicomponent B2 and L2₁ phases, the atomic volumes of Al, Hf, Ni, Ti, and Zr in the B2-TiNi and L2₁ phases are determined. A simple model is proposed to predict the lattice parameters of these phases in multicomponent systems.