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We prepared 41 different superalloy compositions by an arc melting, casting, and heat treatment process. Alloy solid solution strengthening elements were added in graded amounts, and we measured the solidus, liquidus, and c¢-solvus temperatures of the samples by DSC. The c¢-phase fraction increased as the W, Mo, and Re contents were increased, and W showed the most pronounced effect. Ru decreased the c¢-phase fraction. Melting temperatures (i.e., solidus and liquidus) were increased by addition of Re, W, and Ru (the effect increased in that order). Addition of Mo decreased the melting temperature. W was effective as a strengthening element because it acted as a solid solution strengthener and increased the fraction of fine c¢-precipitates, thus improving precipitation strengthening. Experimentally determined values were compared with calculated values based on the CALPHAD software tools Thermo-Calc (databases: TTNI8 and TCNI6) and MatCalc (database ME-NI). The ME-NI database, which was specially adapted to the present investigation, showed good agreement. TTNI8 also showed good results. The TCNI6 database is suitable for computational design of complex nickel-based superalloys. However, a large deviation remained between the experiment results and calculations based on this database. It also erroneously predicted c¢-phase separations and failed to describe the Ru-effect on transition temperatures.

The microstructure evolution in Re–Ru containing high generation Ni-base single crystal superalloy has been investigated during long-term isothermal exposure at 1000°C. The chemical and physical characteristics are determined by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. In addition to the initial γ/γ’ phase structure, formation of HCP-structured Re–Ru–Ni-rich phase is confirmed. Based on high-resolution TEM imaging and phase structure analysis the theoretical atomistic model presenting the interfaces between the phases was constructed and evaluated with respect to precipitation kinetics. Growth of plate-like precipitates occurs mainly through the plate edge area due to stacking fault sequences between the surrounding matrix and the precipitates, while thickening is very limited due to good coherency with the surrounding phase in the longitudinal direction.

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