Evolution of precipitates in Ni-Co-Cr-W-Mo superalloys with different tungsten contents
来源期刊:Rare Metals2020年第6期
论文作者:Han-Sheng Bao Zhi-Hua Gong Zheng-Zong Chen Gang Yang
文章页码:716 - 724
摘 要:The Ni-Co-Cr-W-Mo system is critical for the design of nickel-based superalloys.This system stabilizes different topologically close-packed(TCP) phases in many commercially superalloys with high W and Mo contents.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and thermodynamic calculations were applied to investigate the thermodynamics of the precipitates in two different W-contained Ni-Co-Cr-WMo superalloys(Alloy 1 and Alloy 2).Computational thermodynamics verifies the experimental observation of the μ phase formation as a function of temperature and alloy chemistry,but the kinetics for the precipitation of the M6 C phase do not agree with the experimental findings.The major precipitates of Alloy 1 at temperatures of700℃ and 750℃ during long-time exposure are M23 C6,γ′ phase and MC;for Alloy 2,they are M23 C6,γ′ phase,MC,M6 C and μ phase.W addition is found to promote the precipitation of M6 C and μ phase during exposure.M6 C has higher W and lower Ni content than μ phase,whereas M6 C is an unstable phase that would transform into M12 C after 5000-h exposure at 750℃.A great quantity of needle-like μ phases precipitated after exposure at 750℃ for5000 h,which have no effect on the impact properties of Alloy 2.
稀有金属(英文版) 2020,39(06),716-724
Han-Sheng Bao Zhi-Hua Gong Zheng-Zong Chen Gang Yang
Institute for Special Steels,Central Iron and Steel Research Institute
School of Materials and Metallurgy,Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology
作者简介:*Han-Sheng Bao,e-mail:Baohansheng@nercast.com;
收稿日期:6 November 2019
基金:financially supported by the National Key Research and Develop Program,China(No. 2017YFB0305203);
Han-Sheng Bao Zhi-Hua Gong Zheng-Zong Chen Gang Yang
Institute for Special Steels,Central Iron and Steel Research Institute
School of Materials and Metallurgy,Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology
Abstract:
The Ni-Co-Cr-W-Mo system is critical for the design of nickel-based superalloys.This system stabilizes different topologically close-packed(TCP) phases in many commercially superalloys with high W and Mo contents.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and thermodynamic calculations were applied to investigate the thermodynamics of the precipitates in two different W-contained Ni-Co-Cr-WMo superalloys(Alloy 1 and Alloy 2).Computational thermodynamics verifies the experimental observation of the μ phase formation as a function of temperature and alloy chemistry,but the kinetics for the precipitation of the M6 C phase do not agree with the experimental findings.The major precipitates of Alloy 1 at temperatures of700℃ and 750℃ during long-time exposure are M23 C6,γ′ phase and MC;for Alloy 2,they are M23 C6,γ′ phase,MC,M6 C and μ phase.W addition is found to promote the precipitation of M6 C and μ phase during exposure.M6 C has higher W and lower Ni content than μ phase,whereas M6 C is an unstable phase that would transform into M12 C after 5000-h exposure at 750℃.A great quantity of needle-like μ phases precipitated after exposure at 750℃ for5000 h,which have no effect on the impact properties of Alloy 2.
Keyword:
Nickel-based superalloys; M6C; μphase; Long-time exposure; M12C;
Received: 6 November 2019
1 Introduction
With the development of advanced ultra-supercritical coalfired power plants,the steam pressure and temperature reach 35 MPa and 700℃,respectively,while thermal efficiency will be over 50%
Tungsten (W) has a larger atomic radius and lattice distortion than molybdenum (Mo) to produce a stronger solution strengthening effect.Additionally,the reduced stacking fault energy of alloys containing tungsten can improve creep fracture strength
Waspaloy is a nickel-based superalloy strengthened by nanometer-sizeγ'phase and M23C6 carbide.As W can improve the stability ofγ'phase through changing the distribution of the alloy elements inγ'-γmatrix,some W element is added to the Waspaloy nickel-based superalloy.Our group recently developed a novel wrought nickelbased superalloy based on Waspaloy that is a promising candidate for use in steam turbine.The addition of excess refractory elements such as W and Mo to the alloy will promote the formation of a phase family known as topologically close-packed (TCP) phases during long-time exposure at high temperature
This work investigated the microstructural evolution in nickel-based alloys with W content varying during longterm exposure at 700-750℃and the influence on the mechanical properties of the alloys.The structure and composition of the various alloys’phases were determined,and the role of W was discussed in terms of the formation of precipitates present in the alloys.
2 Experimental
The main alloying addition of these two alloys including nickel (Ni),cobalt (Co),W,Mo and chromium (Cr) were molten using a vacuum induction furnace.The 25-kg ingots were then forged into a round bar with 16 mm in diameter.The chemical compositions of the new designed alloys are given in Table 1.
The as-processed samples were subjected to a standard heat treatment process,which consists of (1) soaking at1080℃for 4 h and oil cooling,(2) soaking at 845℃for24 h and then air cooling to room temperature and (3)aging at 760℃for 16 h and then air cooling to room temperature.The as-treated samples were subsequently aged in a muffle furnace.Both alloys were aged at 700℃for 1000,3000,5000 and 10,000 h and 750℃for 3000and 5000 h.
Charpy impact properties were evaluated for the samples subjected to standard heat treatment and long-term exposure.The absorbed energies were obtained using a Charpy V-notch machine at room temperature.
Precipitates extracted from aged samples were identified by a small-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD,Pert MPD) tester.Precipitates powder for XRD tests was prepared with a solution consisting of 10 g·L-1 ammonium sulfate and10 g·L-1 aqueous citric acid,and the extraction current density was 0.03 A·cm2 at a temperature range from-15℃to 20℃.Specimens for field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were cut from aged samples and prepared using mechanical polishing and etching with a solution containing 200 ml hydrochloric acid,200 ml ethyl alcohol and 10 g copper dichloride.SEM tests were carried out using a FEI Quanta 650 microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS).Thin films for transmission electron microscopy (TEM,JEM-21 00F)specimens were prepared using mechanical milling and conventional dual-jet electro-polishing in a solution of HClO4+CH3CH2OH at a temperature of-30℃and then further thinned by ion beam milling.
Table 1 Chemical compositions of alloys (wt%)
3 Results and discussion
3.1 Thermo-calc dynamics calculation
Thermo-calc dynamic calculation software predicts the phase formation and stability of alloys
Figure 2a,b shows the effect of W content on the equilibrium precipitates of the alloy with 3.5 wt%Mo addition at 700℃and 750℃,respectively.At 700℃,the precipitation amount ofμincreases along with W content when the latter is less than 6 wt%,and then remains unchanged.At 750℃,the precipitation amount ofμincreases with W content,while the latter is less than 8.2wt%,and then remains constant.Meanwhile,with the same W content,the precipitation amount ofμphase at 700℃is higher than that at 750℃.SIGMA phase begins to precipitate when W content reaches 7.8 wt%and 8.3 wt%at700℃and 750℃,respectively.
Figure 3 presents XRD results of the alloys with different W contents after long-term exposure at 700℃and750℃.Onlyγ'phase,MC and M23C6 carbides were detected in Alloy 1 after exposure at 700℃and 750℃,whereasγ'phase,MC,M23C6 and M6C were detected in Alloy 2 before and after long-term exposure;μphase was found after exposure at 750℃for 3000 and 5000 h.SIGMA and R phases were not detected in the present work based on the chemical phase analysis method.
Fig.1 Calculated phase content as a function of temperature diagrams for a Alloy 1 and b Alloy 2
Fig.2 Calculated phase content as a function of W content at a 700℃and b 750℃
Fig.3 XRD patterns of precipitates
Computational thermodynamics verified experimental observations ofγ',MC,M23C6 andμphase formation,but the amount of MC is minute and does not appear in some calculation results.M6C is an unstable phase that is possibly a mesophase ofμphase
3.2 Microstructural evolution during exposure
Figure 4 shows SEM images of the two alloys after expose for 0,5000 and 10,000 h at 700℃.Ti-rich MC particles were distributed randomly inner on the grains of both Alloy1 and Alloy 2 and maintained stability during exposure as marked by the arrows.Most Cr-rich M23C6 particles were discontinuously distributed on grain boundaries before exposure and then transformed to have a continuous distribution after exposure for 10,000 h.XRD identified that the W-rich microscale round white particles in Alloy 2 as M6C arranged in array on the grain as marked by the arrows.
Figure 5 shows SEM images of the alloy after exposure for 3000 and 5000 h at 750℃.The size,amount and morphology of MC carbides do no undergo remarkable changes after 5000-h exposure in either alloy,but the amount of M23C6 carbides on the grain boundary increased significantly with exposure time increasing and caused grain boundaries to widen.Small needle-like precipitates were observed in Alloy 2 after exposure for 3000 h,and the amount of needle-like precipitation increases significantly with longer exposure time,as shown in Fig.5d.XRD analysis shows that the needle-like precipitations areμphase,randomly distributed in grains.
Fig.4 SEM images showing microstructural evolution of alloys after exposure at 700℃for different periods:Alloy 1 for a 0 h,b 5000 h and c 10,000 h;Alloy 2 for d 0 h,e 5000 and f 10,000 h
Fig.5 SEM images of alloys after exposure at 750℃for different periods:Alloy 1 for a 3000 h and b 5000 h;Alloy 2 for c 3000 and d 5000 h
3.3 Evolution of M6C
When W is high enough,M6C precipitates at high temperature rather than M23C6
Fig.6 SEM images of M6C and M23C6 after different heat treatments:a 1080℃,b 1080℃+845℃,and 1080℃+845℃+760℃
Table 2 Elemental component of different positions in Fig.6 with SEM+EDS analysis (wt%)
Research has shown that M6C is an unstable phase that is transformed into M12C during long-term exposure at high temperatures
3.4 Evolution ofμphase
Theμphase is a topological close-packed (TCP) phases and shows a rhombohedral crystal structure.Butμphase and M6C have a similar close-packed arrangement;hence,the alloy containing M6C precipitate probably precipitatesμphase.When the total amount of molybdenum and tungsten in the alloy exceeds 10 wt%,it is reasonable to speculate the existence ofμphase
Theμphase in Alloy 2 was analyzed by means of SEM,TEM,XRD and chemical phase analysis.Figure 8 shows SEM images of Alloy 2 after different exposure times at750℃.Figure 8a shows that after exposure for 1000 h,M23C6,M6C and a small amount of needle-likeμphase precipitated around MC carbide particles.The amount of needle-likeμphase increased slightly after 3000-h exposure;however,a large amount ofμphase precipitated after5000 h.
Fig.7 a Bright-field image and b SADP of M12C carbide after exposure at 750℃for 5000 h
Fig.8 SEM images of precipitates in Alloy 2 after exposure at 750℃for a 1000 h,b 3000 h and c 5000 h
Table 3 Elemental component of different precipitates in Fig.9 with SEM+EDS analysis (wt%)
Table 3 lists elemental compositions of the granular M6C precipitation and needle-likeμphase detected by EDS at different exposure times.Figure 9a shows that the granular precipitations (Position 1) have higher W content than the needle-like precipitation (Position 2),whereas the needle-like precipitations have lower Ni and Co content.The chemical phase analysis shows that the granular precipitation is M6C phase,and the acicular precipitation isμphase.Therefore,M6C has higher W content and lower Co and Ni content thanμphase.
A TEM micrograph of a needle-likeμphase is shown in Fig.10a.Theμphase precipitated in the grain is approximately 0.1μm in width and 6.5μm in length.Figure l0b is a local enlargement of the area shown in Fig.10a that contains many parallel fringes inμphase.Figure 10c shows the S ADP ofμphase.The diffraction spots stretched along the vertical direction of fringes indicate multiple stacking faults inμphase
Because refractory W and Mo elements have larger atomic size and weight,their diffusion rates are very low;therefore,solution heat treatment did not completely eliminate the segregation of W and Mo.As a result,the content of refractory elements is much higher in some regions than in others.The elevated content leads to the formation ofγmatrix and causes these regions more easily reach super saturation state and induce M6C and TCP phase precipitates
Because of the large particle size and the absence of a strengthening effect,the acicular precipitates deteriorate room-temperature plasticity and toughness
Fig.9 SEM images of precipitates in Alloy 2 after long-term exposure at 750℃:a,b 3000 h and b 5000 h
Fig.10 TEM images of stacking faults andμphase in Alloy 2 after exposure at 750℃for 5000 h:a,b needle-likeμphase;c S ADP ofμphase in a;d,e stacking faults andμphase
Fig.11 Impact absorbing energy after long-term exposure at a 700℃and b 750℃
Table 4 Content of MC+M6C+μprecipitations of Alloy 2 after exposure (wt%)
Because fracture behavior of the aged alloy is found to be intergranular,the distribution and quantity of carbides around the grain boundary have a decisive influence on the impact properties of the alloy.Because the MC phase distributed inside the grains remains stable during the longterm aging process,the effect of these particles on impact properties is negligible.The impact properties of the alloy do not decrease significantly with an increased amount of M6C phases (Table 4 and Fig.11).Moreover,the dominant precipitation around the grains is confirmed to be M23C6.The larger amount and the shift in distribution from intermittent to continuous during the initial stage of aging reduce the impact absorbing energy significantly during the first 1000-h aging.
Alloy 2 has lower impact absorbing energy than Alloy 1because the higher W content in Alloy 2 increases the precipitation of M23C6,which in turn reduces the dislocation movement and results in more stress concentration during deformation.Consequently,the crack spreads more easily along the grain boundary.
The main precipitation period ofμphase at 750℃is between 3000 and 5000 h,but the impact absorbing energy was unchanged during this exposure time.Therefore,μphase has no distinct effect on the impact absorbing energy of Alloy 2.This may be becauseμphase mainly precipitates in grains,whereas the fracture of the alloy is mainly intergranular.
Table 4 shows the content of MC,M6C andμphase in Alloy 2 after long-time exposure at 700 and 750℃.The values in Table 4 are the sum of the content of MC,M6C andμphase,which have similar structures and cannot be separated by chemical phase analysis.During 700℃exposure,the content of M6C and MC increases from 0.227to 0.353 after 1000 h and reaches 0.701 after 3000 h before remaining unchanged.MC is a stale phase and remains unchanged during exposure;therefore,the incremented precipitated phase content is M6C.The content of the precipitated phases increases noticeably from 0.227 to2.058 after 3000 h at 750℃and reaches 2.894 after5000-h exposure.Figure 7 indicates that only MC,M6C and a very small amount ofμphase precipitated after3000-h exposure,while the MC phase content does not change with increased exposure time.Thus,M6C contributes the largest content of precipitates before 3000-h exposure,andμphase contributes more between 3000 and5000 h.
4 Conclusion
Thermodynamic calculation performed in the temperature range of 500-1500℃shows that the principal secondary phases in the alloy under equilibrium state consist of M23C6,γ'phase,MC,μphase and M6C.The latter two phases were only found in the alloy with higher W content.The M6C particles were found after solution heat treatment.During the subsequent 3000 h,the amount of this phase increased continuously with aging and then remained almost constant.The amount of precipitation at 750℃was much higher than that at 700℃.Part of M6C transformed into M12C after 5000-h exposure at 750℃.Needle-likeμphase precipitated after 1000-h exposure at 750℃,and the amount increased significantly during the following exposure time.The main elements of theμphase were Ni,W,Co,Cr and Mo.The impact energy of the alloy with high W content was low.However,μphase has no marked effect on the impact property during aging at 750℃.
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