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An electro-thermal mechanical testing (ETMT) system is used to assess the mechanical behavior of a prototype single-crystal superalloy suitable for industrial gas turbine applications. Miniaturized testpieces of a few mm 2 cross section are used, allowing relatively small volumes to be tested. Novel methods involving temperature ramping and stress relaxation are employed, with the quantitative data measured and then compared to conventional methods. Advantages and limitations of the ETMT system are identified; particularly for the rapid assessment of prototype alloys prior to scale-up to pilot-scale quantities, it is concluded that some significant benefits emerge.

The susceptibility of nickel-based superalloys to processing-induced crack formation during laser powder-bed additive manufacturing is studied. Twelve different alloys—some of existing (heritage) type but also other newly-designed ones—are considered. A strong inter-dependence of alloy composition and processability is demonstrated. Stereological procedures are developed to enable the two dominant defect types found—solidification cracks and solid-state ductility dip cracks—to be distinguished and quantified. Differential scanning calorimetry, creep stress relaxation tests at 1000 °C and measurements of tensile ductility at 800 °C are used to interpret the effects of alloy composition. A model for solid-state cracking is proposed, based on an incapacity to relax the thermal stress arising from constrained differential thermal contraction; its development is supported by experimental measurements using a constrained bar cooling test. A modified solidification cracking criterion is proposed based upon solidification range but including also a contribution from the stress relaxation effect. This work provides fundamental insights into the role of composition on the additive manufacturability of these materials.

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The kinetics of primary α-Ti colony/Widmanstätten plate growth from the β are examined, comparing model to experiment. The plate growth velocity depends sensitively both on the diffusivity D(T ) of the rate-limiting species and on the supersaturation around the growing plate. These result in a maxima in growth velocity around 40 K below the transus, once sufficient supersaturation is available to drive plate growth. In Ti-6246, the plate growth velocity was found to be around 0.32 µm min −1 at 850 • C, which was in good agreement with the model prediction of 0.36 µm min −1 . The solute field around the growing plates, and the plate thickness, was found to be quite variable, due to the intergrowth of plates and soft impingement. This solute field was found to extend to up to 30 nm, and the interface concentration in the β was found to be around 6.4 at.% Mo. It was found that increasing O content will have minimal effect on the plate lengths expected during continuous cooling; in contrast, Mo approximately doubles the plate lengths obtained for every 2 wt.% Mo reduction. Alloys using V as the β stabiliser instead of Mo are expected to have much faster plate growth kinetics at nominally equivalent V contents. These findings will provide a useful tool for the integrated design of alloys and process routes to achieve tailored microstructures.