Resolidification behavior of single-crystal superalloys

The resolidification behavior of an as-cast experimental single-crystal superalloy after short exposure heat treatments at various temperatures is presented. The microstructural analysis of specimens that undergo partial melting during heat treatment at mushy zone temperatures reveals the phenomenon of resolidification with coherent single-crystal growth, which is characterized by the formation of colonies of tiny 〈0 0 1〉-oriented dendrites within the interdendritic regions of the parent dendrites. A new solutioning approach utilizing a mushy zone heat treatment is presented.