Precipitate Phase Stability in γ-γ′-δ-η Ni-Base Superalloys

In response to the increasing temperature capability of the structural materials required for advanced gas turbine engines, new alloying concepts are required to develop materials with properties that are significantly better than existing nickel-base superalloys. Recent investigations have focused on the development of polycrystalline, ternary eutectic γ-γ′-δ Ni-base superalloys that use large volume fractions of the intermetallic δ phase to provide composite strengthening. While compositional changes enabled the formation of the δ phase precipitates, in some alloys an additional precipitate phase η was formed. As the effects of these phases on high-temperature mechanical properties are not well quantified, a better understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics associated with the formation of these δ and η phase precipitates is required for future designs of Ni-base superalloys. A set of experimental alloys was investigated to understand the formation of the δ and η phase precipitates in Ni-base superalloys. When the alloy chemistry was observed to exhibit a compositional ratio of Al/(Nb+Ta+Ti) less than 1, δ and/or η phase precipitates formed, whereas a ratio greater than 1 resulted in conventional γ-γ′ microstructures. For alloys in which δ and/or η phase precipitates were formed, the prevalent phase could be determined by evaluating the compositional ratio for (Nb+Ta)/(Al+Ti). Alloys that had ratios greater than 1 were largely composed of δ phase precipitates, whereas a ratio less than 1 resulted in the predominance of the η phase precipitates.