Development of Nickel Based Superalloys for Advanced Turbine Engines

Abstract

Superalloys have been developed for specific, dedicated properties and applications. One of the main application for this material is advanced, high-performance aircraft engines elements. Turbine engine creates harsh environments for materials due to the high operating temperature and stress level. Hence, as described in this article, many alloys used in the turbine section of these engines are very complex and highly optimized. This article provides an overview of structural changes that occur during the aging process of wrought and cast alloys and provides insight into the use of precipitated particles to achieve desired structures. Example will focus on alloy Inconel 718 and CMSX-4. Functional properties of these alloys can be achieved by choosing proper heat treatment parameters to obtain required rate between secondary phases. The paper also attempts to determine structural perfection and changes of crystallographic orientation along the axis of growth of single crystal nickel superalloys cast using X-ray topography and Laue diffraction method. Single crystal bars and turbine blades were manufactured in VIM furnace using the Bridgeman method. Withdrawing rates typical for CMSX-4 superalloy were used. It has been found that with increasing withdrawing rate the nature of distribution along the axis of growth of the angle of [001] direction deviation from the axis of single crystal blades growth had changed. The change of the withdrawing rate results also in the rotation of γ’ phase in the form of cubes against the axis of single crystal blades growth.

Rapid prototyping in manufacturing of turbine engine blades

“…Zastosowanie tych metod pozwala na wyprodukowanie, w oparciu o trójwymiarowy model komputerowy (Computer Aided Design -CAD), komponentów silnika lotniczego o złożonej geometrii, które ze względu na skomplikowaną geometrię nie są łatwe do wytworzenia innymi metodami [1,2,3]. Techniki wytwarzania RP oraz RM znacząco przyspieszają procesy pozyskiwania nowych oraz rozwijania dotychczas stosowanych rozwiązań technologicznych.…”

Study on Defect Reduction in Casting of Ni-Cr alloy (UNS N06003)

“…Nickel-chromium based UNS N06003 is an alloy with advantage of solid solution strengthening mechanism and precipitation hardening mechanism. This is the primary cause for its high temperature resistance [5,6]. This alloy is also known as ASTM 80Ni-20Cr, EN NiCr8020 and NICHOME V [7].It forms a preventive layer of chromium oxides on its surface in severe conditions [8,9].…”

Influences of the Heating and Cooling Rates on the Dissolution and Precipitation Behavior of a Nickel-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy

“…The macroscopic structure was cubic, and the strengthening phase was surrounded by continuous solid solvent matrix phase, which presented a chessboard-like compact and regular arrangement [2]. It has been found that the basic characteristics of the strengthened phase, such as shape, size, distribution, and volume fraction, have an important effect on the mechanical properties of superalloys [3][4][5][6].…”