Microstructural development in high volume fraction gamma prime Ni-base oxide-dispersion-strengthened superalloys

Abstract

The mechanical alloying process has successfully combined oxide-dispersion-strengthening with conventional gamma prime precipitation hardening for advanced gas turbine materials. INCONEL* alloy MA 6000, a mechanically alloyed Ni-base superalloy, has the highest temperature capability among commercially available superalloys. Further improvement of the intermediate temperature strength has been pursued by both increasing the gamma prime content up to 80 vol pct and controlling the additions of refractory metals. The microstructural development of these new experimental alloys is reported in this paper, especially for an alloy, nominally identified as Alloy 51, having the composition Ni-9.3 pct Cr-8.5 pct Al-6.6 pct W-3.4 pct Mo-0.15 pct Zr-0.01 pct B-l.l pct Y2O3 (wt pct). Both the primary and the secondary recrystallized microstructures of the alloy were characterized in terms of gamma grain structure, gamma prime precipitate morphology, orientation relationships, dispersoids, carbide/nitride particles, and chemical composition of intermetallic phases. The microstructural stability of the alloy under stress rupture conditions was also investigated in terms of coarsening/coalescence of gamma prime precipitates. Correlation of the microstructural information with the high temperature properties of the alloy is also briefly discussed. © 1985 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society - ASM International - The Materials Information Society.