On the effect of Re addition on microstructural evolution of a CoNi-based superalloy

TL;DR

This study investigates how adding rhenium affects the microstructure and stability of a new low-density Co-Ni-based superalloy, revealing significant changes in precipitate morphology, lattice misfit, and coarsening mechanisms during aging.

Contribution

It demonstrates that Re addition alters precipitate morphology, reduces lattice misfit, and changes coarsening behavior, providing insights into microstructural stability of Co-Ni superalloys.

Findings

Re reduces lattice misfit by ~40%.

Re causes precipitate morphology to shift to round-cornered cuboids.

Coarsening occurs via evaporation-condensation mechanism.

Abstract

In this study, the effect of rhenium (Re) addition on microstructural evolution of a new low-density Co-Ni-Al-Mo-Nb based superalloy is presented. Addition of Re significantly influences the {\gamma}' precipitate morphology, the {\gamma}/{\gamma}' lattice misfit and the {\gamma}/{\gamma}' microstructural stability during long term aging. An addition of 2 at.% Re to a Co-30Ni-10Al-5Mo-2Nb (all in at.%) alloy, aged at 900{\deg}C for 50 hours, reduces the {\gamma}/{\gamma}' lattice misfit by {\approx} 40% (from +0.32% to +0.19%, measured at room temperature) and hence alters the {\gamma}' morphology from cuboidal to round-cornered cuboidal precipitates. The composition profiles across the {\gamma}/{\gamma}' interface by atom probe tomography (APT) reveals Re partitions to the {\gamma} phase (K_Re=0.34) and also results in the partitioning reversal of Mo to the {\gamma} phase (K_Mo=0.90) from the {\gamma}' precipitate. An inhomogeneous distribution of Gibbsian interfacial excess for the solute Re ({\Gamma}_Re, ranging from 0.8 to 9.6 atom.nm-2) has been observed at the {\gamma}/{\gamma}' interface. A coarsening study at 900{\deg}C (up to 1000 hours) suggests that the coarsening of {\gamma}' precipitates occurs solely by an evaporation--condensation (EC) mechanism. This is contrary to that observed in the Co-30Ni-10Al-5Mo-2Nb alloy as well as in some of the Ni-Al based and high mass density Co-Al-W based superalloys, where {\gamma}' precipitates coarsen by coagulation/coalescence mechanism with extensive alignment of {\gamma}' along <100> directions as a sign of microstructural instability. The {\gamma}' coarsening rate exponent (K_r) and {\gamma}/{\gamma}' interfacial energy are estimated to be 1.41 x 10-27 m3/s and 8.4 mJ/m2, which are comparable and lower than Co-Al-W based superalloys.