SUPER ALLOYS

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 General Introduction to Super Alloys
A super alloy, or high-performance alloy, is an alloy that
exhibits several key characteristics:
• Excellent mechanical strength,
• Resistance to thermal creep deformation,
• Good surface stability,
• And resistance to corrosion or oxidation.

The crystal structure is typically face-centered cubic

austenitic.
Examples of such alloys are Hastelloy, Inconel, Waspaloy
,Rene alloys, Haynes alloys, Incoloy, MP98T, TMS alloys.
.
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 General Introduction to Super Alloys
• Super Alloy development has relied heavily on both
chemical and process innovations.
• Super Alloys develop high temperature strength
through solid solution strengthening.
• An important strengthening mechanism is precipitation
strengthening which forms secondary phase precipitates
such as gamma prime and carbides.
• Oxidation or corrosion resistance is provided by
elements such as aluminum and chromium
• The primary application for such alloys is in turbine
engines, both aerospace and marine

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 Nickel Based Super Alloys
• Gamma (γ): This phase composes the matrix of Ni-
based super alloy.
• It is a solid solution fcc austenitic phase of the alloying
elements.
• Alloying elements found in most commercial Ni-based
alloys are, C, Cr, Mo, W, Nb, Fe, Ti, Al, V, and Ta.
• During the formation of these materials, as the Ni-alloys
are cooled from the melt, carbides begin to precipitate, at
even lower temperatures γ'phase precipitates

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 Nickel Based Super Alloys

Carbide Phases: Carbide formation is usually considered

deleterious although in Ni-based super alloys they are used
to stabilize the structure of the material against deformation
at high temperatures.

Carbides form at the grain boundaries inhibiting grain

boundary motion

Crystal structure for γ" (Ni3Nb) (Body Centered Tetragonal)

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 Cobalt Based Super Alloys
Gamma (γ): Similar to Ni-based super alloys, this is the phase of the
super alloy’s matrix. While not used commercially to the extent of Ni-
based super alloys, alloying elements found in research Co-based
alloys are C, Cr, W, Ni, Ti, Al, and Ta.

Chromium is also used in Cobalt based super alloys (occasionally up to

20 wt.%) as it provides oxidation and corrosion resistance, critical for
material use in gas turbines.

Gamma Prime (γ'): Just as in Ni-based super alloys, this phase

constitutes the precipitate used to strengthen the alloy. In this case, it is
usually close packed with a L12structure of Co3Ti Co3T, though both W
and Al have been found to integrate into these cuboidal precipitates
quite well.

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 Cobalt Based Super Alloys

The elements Ta, and Ti integrate into the γ’ phase and are
quite effective at stabilizing it at high temperatures.
This stabilization is quite important as the lack of stability is
one of the key factors that makes Co-based super alloys
weaker than their Ni-base cousins at elevated
temperatures.

Carbide Phases: As is common with carbide formation, its

appearance in Co-based super alloys does provide
precipitation hardening, but does decrease low-
temperature ductility.
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 Iron Based Super Alloys
Iron-based super alloys are characterized by high
temperature as well as room-temperature strength and
resistance to creep, oxidation, corrosion, and wear
The iron-based grades, which are less expensive than
cobalt or nickel-based grades, are of three types:
alloys that can be strengthened by a martensitic type of
transformation,
alloys that are austenitic and are strengthened by a
sequence of hot and cold working (usually, forging at 2,000
to 2,100°F followed by finishing at 1,200 to 1,600°F),
and austenitic alloys strengthened by precipitation
hardening.
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 Magnesium Alloys

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 Manufacturing Processes associated with Super Alloys

Spray Forming/Casting-
The typical spray forming/casting process begins with vacuum-induction
melting.
The molten metal is then delivered to a tundish and metered from the tundish
through a controlled orifice or nozzle.
This metered alloy stream is then "atomized" into very fine droplets by high-
purity argon gas impingement.
When producing billets, the spray is then deposited onto a preheated carbon
steel mandrel, which rotates under the spray.
Spray-formed rings can also be produced by spraying onto a rotating mandrel.
The spray formed/cast material may then be HIPed and/or subjected to
deformation processing

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 Manufacturing Processes associated with Super Alloys
Deformation processing of wrought super alloys is
performed to alter the cross-section of the material as well
as to impart the appropriate microstructural refinement.
Typical processes include forging, hot rolling and ring
rolling.
Forging can be done in closed dies, where the metal is
constrained or in open dies, where it is not.
Hot rolling to produce sheet and bar products must be done
at very high temperatures with many reheats in between
rolling passes.
Ring rolling is a forging process used to produce a hollow-
centered round forging
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 Heat Treatment and Surface Treatment
of Super Alloys
The term "heat treatment" when applied to super alloys may mean
many different processes, including stress relievable, in process or full
annealing, solution treating, precipitation hardening or diffusion of
coatings.
In-process annealing may be used after welding to relieve stress or in
between severe forming operations.
Full annealing is used to obtain a fully recrystallized, soft and ductile
structure. Solution treating is done to dissolve second phases so that
the additional solute is available for precipitation hardening.
Precipitation hardening (also called age hardening) is used to bring out
strengthening phases and to control carbides and the topologically
close packed phases.
Applications of coatings also involve exposures to elevated
temperatures.
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 Surface Treatment of Super Alloys
Since super alloys are prone to hot corrosion and oxidation at
temperatures below which these alloys are designed to operate,
protective coatings of three basic types have been developed:

Aluminide (diffusion) coatings, overlay coatings and thermal barrier

coatings.
The aluminide coatings (usually CoAl or NiAl) are formed by a "pack
diffusion" method which is a form of chemical vapor deposition.

The coatings are protective because of the alumina which forms on the
coating but they degrade as that oxide spalls. Overlay coatings, called
MCrAlY, where M can be iron, nickel, cobalt or a combination, are two
phase coatings, i.e. an aluminide in a ductile matrix.

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 Surface Treatment of Super Alloys

These coatings are more ductile than the aluminide

coatings.
Ceramic thermal barrier coatings protect by providing
insulation to lower the temperature of the super alloy
component by 150°C or more.

A thermal barrier coating system is comprised of a ceramic

layer (top coat) over a metallic layer (bond coat).

Each coating type has its advantages and limitations.

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