Abstract A new model is developed in order to account for the effect of microstructural degradation (i.e. precipitate-directional-coarsening) on the viscoplastic behavior of single crystal superalloys under high temperature exposure. Microstructural changes are modeled by a tensorial description of γ channel width evolution and coupled to the Kelvin modes based viscoplasticity thanks to the Orowan stress. Such a coupling is performed within a thermodynamics framework. Isotropic and directional coarsening of the γ ' hardening phase are modeled as well as its dissolution with temperature changes. Results are presented for isothermal creep of CMSX-4 alloy at 1050 ∘ C along 001 > and 111 > crystal directions but the formulation allows to account for anisothermal loadings, isotropization of the creep response at high temperature and misaligned loadings. This newly developed tensorial framework for rafting can also apply to single crystal superalloys having a positive misfit.
The laser shock adhesion test (LASAT) is a technique allowing the generation of high tensile stresses in materials. The LASAT consists in focusing a pulsed laser beam on a water-confined target. The laser pulse crosses the water transparent layer and is absorbed by the target. High energetic plasma is created at the surface of the sample. As a response to the expansion of the plasma, a shock wave is generated and propagates through the sample. This shock wave leads to the generation of high tensile stresses in the sample. These stresses allow the interface solicitation in order to evaluate the dynamic adhesive bond strength of coated systems. In order to determine interface strengths, this technique has already proven its feasibility. In this paper, the adhesion strength of coated system was evaluated using LASAT for two surface pretreatments of substrates obtained by grit-blasting and laser surface texturing techniques. The generation of the high-intensity shock wave by laser plasma in the water-confinement regime has been performed at 7.1 ns at 532 nm with the new Nd:YAG laser facility HEPHAISTOS. This paper shows that surface treatments have a great influence on the adherence results of the coated systems obtained with laser adhesion test. However, the LASAT is efficient on thin coating. In that sense, thicker industrial coatings are not adapted for the conventional LASAT anymore. Therefore, a new technique was designed to improve and extend the conventional technique. This technique consists of varying the delay Δt between two incident pulses to adjust the location of the maximum tensile stresses near the interface. Some preliminary results on the improved configuration are presented in this paper and the problematic of the laser-matter interaction with two time-delayed laser pulses which has arisen is discussed.
Linear friction welding (LFW) is a near net shape solid state joining technology for aerospace applications. In this study LFW of a recently introduced Ni-based superalloy, AD730™, with superior properties for use in the hot section of gas turbines was studied. In order to minimize the number of experiments for achieving sound welds, an analytical method was developed that allowed to determine the optimum process parameters with a limited number of experiments. The predictions of the method were validated by LFW experiments, and sound samples without defects were produced. Microstructure evolution of the as-welded samples from the weld center to the base metal was investigated using laser confocal and field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) including electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and backscattered imaging (BSE). Post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), consisting of a γ′ sub-solvus solutionizing followed by aging, was conducted on LFWed blocks. Then, microstructure evolution and mechanical testing were conducted on PWHTed samples and compared with the as welded blocks. The obtained results were correlated with microhardness as well as tensile testing at room temperature and 650 °C, and interpreted in terms of fundamental metallurgical processes. Macroscopic examination of the PWHTed joints revealed that the samples failed out of the weld zone, further demonstrating the appropriate selection of LFW processing parameters using the proposed analytical method. PWHTed samples exhibited better room and high temperature tensile properties compared to those of the as-welded samples. Microscopic examination of the fracture zones of the samples showed that the higher levels of reprecipitation of γ′ particles in the thermomechanically-affected zone (TMAZ) of the PWHT samples were associated to their higher tensile properties compared to the as welded ones.
The Inconel 718 superalloy was subjected to isothermal and cyclic thermal annealing at 750°C to assess its expected use at higher temperatures. Mcrostructure evaluation during isothermal annealing and thermal cycling was investigated by different imaging techniques. According to High Resolution Scanning and Transmission Electron Mcroscopy (HRSEM & HRTEM) results, all the annealed samples showed the coarsening of γ′, γ″ and δ precipitates, however, the total volume fraction of these precipitates remains the same for all heat treatment conditions. Using backscattered electrons images the size of γ′, γ″ and δ phases were measured and correlated with annealing time. The most striking result is the impact of thermal cycling which accelerates the growth inside the grains of γ″ phase and at the vicinity of the grain-boundaries leading to its transformation to δ phase, which induces a fast decrease of the mechanical properties of thermally cycled specimens compared to isothermally aged ones. A close investigation showed that the γ″ phase grows by ledge mechanism. Moreover, Electron backscattered diffraction analysis (EBSD) revealed no significant grain size change during all annealed times.
Surface laser texturing is used to ensure mechanical anchoring and strengthen adhesion between the interfaces of bond coatless thermal barrier coating system. To anticipate a possible loss of mechanical properties and to adapt to the perpetual evolutions of chemical compositions of the system, we analyzed the microstructural evolutions of different Ni-based single crystal superalloys, induced during infrared nanosecond laser ablation. Localized asperities composed of a melted, re-solidified matter, with a different microstructure from that of the bulk material, were generated. Regarding asperity morphologies, recrystallization within the latter could be avoided. Then, to compare different Ni-base single crystal superalloys, the thermal-affected volumes were characterized for two patterns textured under different energetic conditions. It seems that all the studied single crystal superalloys behaved quite similarly during nanosecond laser ablation. Finally, according to these results, ablation kinetics between the γ and γ′ phases of Ni-based superalloys could not be homogeneous.
