AM of Ni-base superalloys

Ni-base superalloys

Wrought alloys Cast alloys

Disc alloys Equiaxed
DS
Combustor alloys
SX

• Tailored alloy compositions to meet specific

application requirements
• Restrictions on strengthening in wrought alloys
• Solid solution strengthened (Cr, Co, Fe, Mo, W, Ta)
• Precipitation hardened systems (Al, Ti, Nb)
Strengthening Precipitates
 Turbine blade alloys
• Requirements: high
stress rupture and
creep resistance,
fatigue resistance, hot
corrosion resistance
• The centrifugal force
on an HPT blade is
high enough to propel
it to 10 km height into
the blues, if the blade
is released during
operation!
Blade alloy development
 Turbine Blade Alloys
• Early engines used wrought Ni-base alloys
– UK: Nimonic 80, 90, 105, 115 , 120
– US: Udimet 500, 700, Waspaloy
• Forgeability problems in stronger alloys  castings (late
1960s)
– IN 713LC, IN 738, IN 100, B1900, MM 200, MM246, Rene 77,
Rene 80
• Hf addition: improved intermediate temp ductility + hot
tearing resistance
– MM200+Hf (MM009), MM001 (IN100+Hf), MM007
(B1900+Hf)
• Grain boundary strengtheners (B, Zr, C) and refractory metal
additions (Nb, W, Mo, Ta)
• Formation of TCP phases – stall in alloy development (early
1970s)
 DS and SX turbine blade technology
• Pratt & Whitney: Elimination of
transverse grain boundaries to
improve creep strength (1970)
• Single crystal blades (1980)
• DS and SX blades: higher
thermal fatigue and LCF
DS aerofoil castings
resistance

SX Ni-base cast alloy blade

 DS Blade Alloys
• Early DS castings: poor transverse ductility, grain boundary
cracking, HfO inclusions
• Alloy compositions subsequently tailored for DS castings
• Mar M 247 Vs CM 247LC
– Reduced carbon (↑ductility)
– Optimization of Zr and Ti (↑ GB cracking resistance)
– Reduced W, Mo, Cr levels (↓ M6C and TCP phases)
– Moderate Hf content (↓HfO inclusions)

Alloy C Cr Co Mo W Ta Al Ti B Zr Hf Others

Mar M 247 .15 8.4 10 .7 10 3 5.5 1 .015 .05 1.5 Ni base

CM 247 LC .07 8.1 9.2 .5 9.5 3.2 5.6 .7 .015 .015 1.4 Ni base

PWA 1422 0.14 9 10 - 12 - 5 .2 .015 0.1 1.5 1Nb, Ni

base
CM186LC 0.07 6 9 0.5 8 3 5.7 0.7 .015 .005 1.4 3Re, Ni-
base
PWA1426 .1 6.5 10 1.7 6.5 4 6 - .015 - 1.5 3Re, Ni
base
 SX Blade Alloys
Alloy Cr Co Mo W Ta Re Al Ti others
PWA 1480 10 5 - 4 12 - 5 1.5 I Generation
CMSX2 8 4.6 .6 8 6 - 5.6 1
CMSX4 6.5 9 .6 6 6.5 3 5.6 1 II Generation
PWA1484 5 10 2 6 9 3 5.6 -
TMS 80 3 11 2 5.8 5.8 5 5.8 - 3 Ir
III Generation
Rene N6 4.2 12 1.5 6 7.2 5.4 5.8 - 0-6 Ru
MC-NG 4 .2 1 5 5 4 6 .5 4 Ru

• No GB strengthening elements, lower Cr and Ti

• Re addition: reduced / coarsening rates, solid solution effect, Re
atom clustering, improved corrosion resistance
• Use of more Ta (does not participate in TCP formation)
• Ce, Y, La additions in II and III generation alloys (better hot corrosion
resistance)
• Ir and Ru additions in the most recent alloys
 Superalloy Design Considerations
• Solid solution strengthen  and /
• Increase / volume fraction
• Increase liquidus, solidus, incipient melting and / solvus
temperatures
• Decrease solidification range
• Increase SFE of /
• Increase coherency strains for applications up to 0.6 Tm
• Decrease / coarsening rates for applications above 0.6 Tm
• Minimise formation of , Ni3Nb, Laves,  and  phases
• Control carbide structure (M23C6 GB films and M6C platelets)
• Control GB / and carbides to enhance rupture strength
 Disc Superalloys
• Early engines
– 12%Cr martensitic stainless steels
– Fe-base alloy A-286 (Fe-26Ni-15Cr-1.3Mo-2Ti-1.3Mn-0.05C))
• Current engines
– Inconel 718 (Ni-19Cr-18.5Fe-5Nb-3Mo-1Ti-0.5Al-0.05C)
– Waspaloy (Ni-20Cr-13Co-4Mo-3Ti-1Al)
– Udimet 700 (Ni-15Cr-18Co-5Mo-4.25Al-3.5Ti)
– Astroloy (Ni-15Cr-17Co-5.3Mo-4Al-3.5Ti-0.06C)
– Nimonic 105 (Ni-15Cr-20Co-5Mo4.7Al-1.2Ti-0.13C)
– Incoloy 909 (Fe-38Ni-13Co-4.7Nb-1.5Ti-0.01C)
 Combustor Superalloys
• Service conditions: Moderate stresses,
highest temperatures
• Requirements: hot corrosion, oxidation,
creep, thermal fatigue, weldability
• Dilute alloys (lower Al and Ti) show superior
weldability
– C 263 (Ni-20Cr-20Co-5.9Mo-0.5Al-2.1Ti-
0.06C)
– Nimonic 80 (Ni-20Cr-2.5Ti-1.5Al-0.06C)
Annular combustion
– IN 625 (Ni-21.5Cr-9Mo-3.5Nb-2.5Fe-0.05C) chamber
• Turbine casings, afterburner and exhaust
assemblies
– IN 783 (low CET)
– IN 718 (welded fabrications)
 Effect of impurity elements
• Impair mechanical properties, 1.0

Normalised rupture life

weldability and hot workability
• AMS 2280: 20 impurities
0.6
• Most detrimental: Sn, Pb, As, Pb
Sb, Bi, S, Se, Te, Ag, Li
• N > 5-8 ppm
0.2
– formation of equiaxed grains in Bi Te Se
DS and SX castings
0 10 20 30

Impurity element, ppm

Effect of impurity elements on the

creep properties of Mar M 002
(860°C , 465 MPa)
 Welding of Ni-superalloys
• SS alloys are generally weldable
• PH alloys
– Solidification cracking
– HAZ softening
– Strain-age cracking
– HAZ liquation cracking or HAZ microfissuring
– Inferior weld ductility and toughness
 Strain-age cracking

• A type of reheat cracking

• Rapid precipitation of
strengthening phases
upon reheating
• Often occurs in the HAZ
• Cracking tendency
increases with Al+Ti
content
Ti+Al content Vs. Strain-age cracking
 Fracture features

Grain boundary
embitterment
Aging contraction
 IN 718, strain-age cracking

Caution: thick sections, high external restraint, HAZ microfissures

 HAZ microfissuring

Intergranular
Not easy to detect
Extensively studied
 Causes
• GB liquid films + tensile stress
• Constitutional liquation of NbC and/or
Laves phases
• S and/or B segregation to grain
boundaries
 Aggravating factors
• Presence of carbides, Laves, delta phases
• Impurities (C, B, S, P)
– Equilibrium and non-equilibrium segregation of B
• Coarse grain size
• High heat input
• Nail-head welds
• Multi-pass welding
 How to control?
• Weld in ST condition
• Use fine-grained materials
• Control of B, S, P and Si levels
• Avoid very high temperature solution treatments
– Use water quenching
• Use low heat inputs
• Control weld shape. Avoid nail-head formation
– Use cosmetic weld pass
 Segregation and Intermetallic
Formation
• Segregation  intermetallic formation
• Loss of alloying elements
• Loss of ductility and toughness
• Example: Inconel 718
IN 718
GTA Weld
Laves phase
Nb segregation
980ST
1080ST
1080 ST, BM
IN 718, Current Pulsing
980ST, Pulsed welds
Laser welding, IN 718