Failure analysis of gas turbine

blade made of Ni-based superalloy

Osama Aadil Saadi
160301029
Content

 Gas turbine
 Material used
 Microstructural study
 Microstructural change
 Failure
Application
High temp failures

 Failure Mechanisms
 Creep
 Fatigue
 Corrosion
 Environmental attack
 Erosion
 Can occur simultaneously
High temp alloys

 Widely used Ni and Co based super-alloys

 Withstand high stress & temperature

 Ni-based superalloys
 Exceptional combination of properties
Material

 IN738LC

 Multiphase structure
 γ –Matrix
 γ′ - precipitates (cuboid shaped)
 Ni3 (Al,Ti)
Under Heat treatment

  Carbide phases
 MC (eutectic)
 M23C6 (secondary)
 Degeneration of the MC
Microstructure change (long service)

  Change in Size, distribution, space between ′ and carbides

 Coarsening of ′ precipitates

 Continuous carbides along GB

Working

  Failure after 6500 hours

 750-800
 80 MPa
 Estimated life ~ 20,000 hours
 No coating on turbine blade
 Consistent fracture in all blades
 Fractured from airfoil body
 Optical Microscopy
• Discontinuous carbides in root
• Flaky carbides in airfoil

• γ′ observed in root
• Not observed in airfoil body

• No precipitates in airfoil or
• Smaller in airfoil as compared to root
• reprecipitation in airfoil area
SEM
 Confirmed smaller size in airfoil body
 Unexpected microstructure
 Worked 6500 hour
 Should be coarsened
 Experiences higher temperature than root
 γ′ size
 Airfoil 50 nm
 Root 500 nm
 Fractography
 No evidence of progressive failure
 Smaller area (marked by red line)
shows local melting
 Sponge texture
conclusion

 Temperature of gas turbine increased for unknown amount of time

(overheating).
 The blades were confronted to higher temperature compared to service
temperature (750 °C).
 The size and distribution of γ' in the airfoil show that these precipitates
dissolved in the matrix and re-deposited