The Ni-base superalloy, IN-718, has been coated with alumina sols. Coated surfaces, carrying alumina layers having thicknesses between 0.6 μm and 3.6 μm show a significantly reduced oxidation rate when compared with uncoated reference surfaces, even if heating temperature is increased up to 900 °C and heating time is extended to 800 h. Alumina layers were prepared via sol-gel processing using a modified Yoldas procedure to obtain alumina sols. No change in rheological sol behavior was observed for more than 1 year of aging under static conditions at room temperature. Depending on pH value, modified Yoldas sols contain a manifold of Al species, among them Al13 polycations. Thermal evolution of sol derived alumina powders depends on Al speciation of parent sols. Depending on sol composition, both gamma-Al2O3 and eta-Al2O3 occur as intermediate transition aluminas. Phase composition and gas phase velocity influence oxygen permeability of thin layers prepared with modified Yoldas sols.

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the hardness and microstructure in bent and welded samples of Alloy 718. The results will be used by GKN aerospace to evaluate the simulated values of the production process of vines in a jet engine. In total, eleven samples from three different production chains are evaluated. All samples are bent and go through different stages within the production including bending, solution treatment and welding. The samples are cut and mounted in bakelite then polished and etched in order for the microstructure to be seen and evaluated. Hardness tests were made on the mounts to evaluate how bending, solution treatment and welding affects the hardness. The bent samples without the solution treatment became harder depending on the amount of cold deformation. The amount of cold deformation controls how fast the material recrystallizes during subsequent solution treatment. During the solution treatment, the δ-phase (Ni3Nb) is precipitated in the grain boundaries which prevents a coarser grain size and therefore promotes a smaller grain size.  The laser weld creates a small HAZ (heat affected zone) that becomes softer because the heat dissolves the δ-phase which therefore triggers the grains to grow. The weld consists of eutectic γ-dendrites with interdendritic pools of alloying elements. After the solution treatment, many needle shaped δ-phases arise from the pools and HAZ. The hardness measurements were tested on a manual machine which makes potential human error important to consider when the measurements are evaluated. When the grain size measurements are done on the solution treated samples, the grain boundaries can be difficult to determine because the δ-phases and twins create wide and incorrect boundaries. The results will be used by GKN Aerospace in order to verify their simulations. The heterogenic material after solution treatment will probably be studied further. / Syftet med projektet är att undersöka hårdhet och mikrostruktur i bockade och svetsade prover tillverkade av Alloy 718. Totalt undersöks elva stycken prover som är tillverkade på olika sätt enligt tre tillverkningskedjor. Alla provbitar är bockade och har sedan genomgått olika många steg i tillverkningen som består utav bockning, upplösningsbehandling och svets. Genom att kapa upp provbitarna i mindre bitar, baka in de i bakelit och etsa de studerades mikrostrukturen och hur den påverkas av bockning, upplösningsbehandling och svets. Vidare gjordes hårdhetsmätningar över olika delar av proven för att undersöka hur mycket hårdare materialet blir vid kalldeformation och hur upplösningsbehandling och svets påverkar hårdheten i Alloy 718. Endast bockade prov blir hårdare beroende på hur mycket kalldeformation provbiten har utsatts för. Hur mycket provet har deformerats styr hur snabbt rekristallisationen sker vid en efterföljande upplösningsbehandling. Under upplösningsbehandlingen utskiljs även δ-fas (Ni3Nb) i korngränser vilket främjar en mindre kornstorlek. Lasersvetsen ger ett litet värmepåverkat område men värmen från svetsen bidrar till att δ-fasen löses upp och större korn bildas. Svetsen består av långa eutektiska γ-dendriter med interdendritiska poler av mycket legeringsämnen. Vid upplösningsbehandling efter utförd svets bildas det δ-fas i de värmepåverkade och i svetsen. Hårdhetsmätningarna har utförts på en manuell hårdhetsmaskin vilket innebär att felmarginalen blir större då den mänskliga felfaktorn spelar en stor roll. Vid beräkning av kornstorlek har det varit svårt att utskilja vad som är en korngräns i upplösningsbehandlade prov då mängden δ-fas efter upplösningsbehandling ger tjocka korngränser.  Resultaten kommer användas av GKN Aerospace för att verifiera sina simulationer. Det heterogena materialet efter upplösningsbehandlingen kommer troligtvis studeras vidare.

Inconel 718 (IN 718) is widely used in applications, such as aircraft and power turbine components. Recently, fiber laser welding has become an attractive joining technique in industry for fabrication and repair of service-damaged components. However, a major limitation in the laser welding of IN 718 is that liquation cracking occurs. In the present work, autogenous fiber laser welding of IN 718 was used to study the effects of welding parameters and different pre-weld heat treatments on liquation cracking. Contrary to previous studies, a dual effect of heat input on cracking is observed. A rarely reported effect of heat input is attributed to process instability. Liquation cracking increases with pre-weld heat treatment temperatures that increase grain size and/or, possibly, intregranular boron segregation. The study shows that pre-weld heat treatment at 950oC can be used for repair welding of IN 718 without significant loss in cracking resistance.

Inconel 718 (IN 718) is widely used in applications, such as aircraft and power turbine components. Recently, fiber laser welding has become an attractive joining technique in industry for fabrication and repair of service-damaged components. However, a major limitation in the laser welding of IN 718 is that liquation cracking occurs. In the present work, autogenous fiber laser welding of IN 718 was used to study the effects of welding parameters and different pre-weld heat treatments on liquation cracking. Contrary to previous studies, a dual effect of heat input on cracking is observed. A rarely reported effect of heat input is attributed to process instability. Liquation cracking increases with pre-weld heat treatment temperatures that increase grain size and/or, possibly, intregranular boron segregation. The study shows that pre-weld heat treatment at 950oC can be used for repair welding of IN 718 without significant loss in cracking resistance.

L’Inconel 718 est un superalliage base nickel largement utilisé par les motoristes tels Safran Aircraft Engines pour l’élaboration des disques de turbine. Après forgeage des disques, un traitement de vieillissement appelé « Direct Aged » est appliqué. En service, le régime de croisière représente un temps de maintien sous chargement constant pour les disques. Bien que pas complètement compris, il est largement admis qu’un temps de maintien dans un cycle de fatigue a un effet néfaste sur le comportement en fissuration de l’Inconel 718 ainsi que d’autres superalliages. Cette étude porte donc sur la fissuration en fatigue-fluage dans l’Inconel 718 DA à 550°C et 650°C. Des essais sont menés pour des temps de maintien allant jusqu’à 1h. Des développements de la méthode de suivi de fissure par mesure de potentiel (DCPD) ont permis d’identifier la décharge-recharge (contribution de fatigue) d’un cycle de fatigue-fluage comme la partie la plus néfaste du cycle. L’application d’un temps de maintien amplifie cette contribution. Le temps de maintien induit également des fronts de fissure extrêmement courbes et tortueux, contrairement à de la fatigue pure. Une stratégie numérique a été développée, couplant la simulation 3D de la propagation et la méthode dite DCPD, permettant de réaliser des « essais numériques ». La propagation de fronts courbes et tortueux est simulée. Il a été démontré que le comportement en propagation est directement lié à la forme du front de fissure et son évolution. Des essais complexes ont été menés, sous vide, ou impliquant des surcharges. Lorsque l’effet du temps de maintien est annihilé, les morphologies complexes des fronts disparaissent. Elles sont alors associées à une inhibition locale de l’effet endommageant de l’environnement due à la plasticité et aux vitesses de déformation locales. Tous les essais présentés sont analysés en considérant l’effet de la vitesse de déformation locale qui influe largement le comportement en fissuration de l’Inconel 718. / Inconel 718 is a nickel-based superalloy widely used by aeroengines manufacturers like Safran Aircraft Engine to manufacture turbine disks. After forging, disks are given an ageing treatment called “Direct Aged”. In service, during cruise, these critical components handle hold-time periods at constant loading. It is well known, although not fully understood, that hold-time increases crack growth rates (CGR) in Inconel 718 as well as others superalloys. Therefore, this study focuses on crack propagation under hold-time conditions in DA Inconel 718, at 550°C and 650°C. Experiments were carried out for different hold-times, up to 1h. Developments on the crack monitoring technique (DCPD) led to the conclusion that the most damaging part of the cycle is load-reversal (fatigue contribution). This contribution is enhanced by the hold-time period. Holdtime leads to dramatically curved and tortuous crack front, contrary to pure fatigue cycles. A numerical framework was developed, combining crack growth and DCPD simulations, so that “numerical tests” can be carried out. Using this method, crack growth simulations were performed from curved and tortuous, experimentally reproduced, crack front. It was concluded that increased crack CGR under hold-time conditions are closely related to the crack front morphology and its evolution during propagation. More complex tests, with overloads or under vacuum, were carried out. When the hold-time effect is inhibited, complex morphologies vanish. Such morphologies were associated to local inhibition of the environmental damaging effect due to local high plastic strain and strain rates. The large variety of experiments, presented in this study, was then successfully analyzed considering the effect of local strain rates which greatly influence the crack growth behavior of Inconel 718.

Ce travail est une contribution à une étude de recherche et développent, proposée par Hydro Aluminium, dans le domaine des mécanismes d'endommagement de filières d'extrusion et. L'originalité du travail de thèse est basée sur le développement d'un alliage Inconel 718 optimisé pour l'application spécifique de filière d’extrusion, ce qui représente un saut technologique dans l'emploi de ce superalliage dans le domaine des outils. L'impact des paramètres du procédé d'extrusion, appelés paramètres extrinsèques, - tels que la vitesse d'extrusion, la longueur de billette, le chargement thermo-mécanique - sur le comportement mécanique du matériau a été analysé. Les cycles traction-compression sont simulés à l'aide d’essais isothermes de fatigue oligocyclique (LCF) qui donnent des informations sur les différents mécanismes d'endommagement survenant dans la filière. Du point de vue scientifique, la sollicitation de fatigue oligocyclique isotherme (LCF) est considérée comme la plus représentative des conditions thermomécaniques agissant sur l'outil. Les résultats montrent que la vitesse de déformation et de temps de maintien ont un impact significatif sur la durés de vie en fatigue. Le développent du matériau, enfin, a été atteint en modifiant les paramètres intrinsèques au matériau - tels que la taille des grains et la morphologie des précipités intermétalliques. Des traitements thermiques alternatifs, permettant d'adapter le matériau aux conditions spécifiques imposées par le procédé d'extrusion, ont été formulés. Des essais de fatigue LCF supplémentaires, ont permit de comparer la réponse cyclique de ces nouvelles nuances à celle du traitement original. Un de ces traitement, élaboré au travers d’une approche pluridisciplinaire incluant les aspects métallurgie, chimie et mécanique, a été retenu comme la nouvelle procédure standard pour le traitement des matrices d'extrusion en Inconel 718. / This present work is a contribution to an extensive development study, promoted by Hydro Aluminium, in the field of the damage mechanisms of extrusion dies. The originality of the present work is based on the development of an optimized Inconel 718 alloy as bulk material for extrusion die., which corresponds to a new application of this alloy in the field of tools: The investigation of the impact of the so called “Material Extrinsic Parameters”, such as extrusion speed, billet length and thermo-mechanical loading on the mechanical behaviour of the material is proposed. The cyclic tensile and compressive stresses, acting on the die, are simulated by isothermal Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF) tests. Results show that strain rate and holding time have a significant impact on fatigue life. These considerations represent the “Input Data” for the design of an optimized Inconel 718 in order to adapt the material to the specific conditions imposed by the extrusion process. This objective is achieved by modifying the “Material Intrinsic Parameters” such as grain size or precipitates morphology through the formulation of alternative thermal treatments. Additional LCF tests, are carried out to compare the cyclic response of the alternative Inconel 718 grades. One of this treatment, elaborated by a multidisciplinary approach including metallurgical, chemical and mechanical experiments that has been implemented in the industrial production practice as the new standard procedure for the thermal treatment of the Inconel 718 extrusion dies.

L'Inconel 718 est un superalliage base-nickel très utilisé pour la fabrication de pièces aéronautiques soumises à de fortes contraintes et de hautes températures. La maîtrise de la microstructure finale issue de la mise en forme à chaud est un des éléments clés pour le contrôle des propriétés mécaniques et pour répondre aux exigences strictes du secteur. Dans cette étude, l'évolution de la microstructure de l'Inconel 718 est étudiée au moyen d'essais de torsion suivis d'une trempe à l'eau (pour examiner les évolutions dynamiques) ou d'un maintien à la température de déformation puis d'une trempe à l'eau (pour examiner les évolutions post-dynamiques). Ces essais sont réalisés dans les domaines de température δ-supersolvus et δ-subsolvus et pour des vitesses de déformation de 10-2 à 0.1 s-1. Des analyses microstructurales par microscopie électronique à balayage et cartographie des orientations cristallographiques par EBSD sont réalisées pour suivre l'évolution de la fraction recristallisée, de la taille de grains recristallisés ainsi que de l'état de précipitation lors de la déformation et des maintiens pré- et post-déformation. Sur base de ces observations expérimentales, les principaux mécanismes métallurgiques actifs sont identifiés, puis modélisés : écrouissage, germination de nouveaux grains, migration de joints de grains, et interaction avec les particules de seconde-phases. Un modèle d'évolution microstructurale en champ moyen a été enrichi pour prendre en compte l'ensemble de ces mécanismes élémentaires et leur dépendance aux conditions thermomécaniques. Ce modèle permet de décrire, pour les domaines δ-subsolvus et δ-supersolvus, les cinétiques de recristallisation dynamique et post-dynamique de l'Inconel 718, les cinétiques de précipitation et dissolution de la phase δ, ainsi que l'évolution de la taille de grains. Il prédit également les courbes contrainte-déformation dans le domaine de température δ-supersolvus. / Inconel 718 is nickel-based Superalloy widely used in the aeronautic industry to manufacture aircraft parts subjected to extreme in-service conditions of high stresses at elevated temperatures. Controlling the microstructure after hot forming is a key element to control the mechanical properties of the final products and meet the tight specifications imposed by the aeronautic industry.In this work, the microstructure evolution of Inconel 718 was investigated via isothermal and iso-strain rate torsion tests followed by water quenching (to investigate dynamic evolution) or by annealing at deformation temperature then water quenching (to investigate post-dynamic evolution). These tests were conducted in both δ-Supersolvus and δ-Subsolvus temperature domains and for strain rates of 0.01 to 0.1 s-1.Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Electron Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) were used to characterize the microstructure and follow the evolution of the recrystallized fraction, the recrystallized grain size and the δ-phase precipitation after deformation and during pre-deformation and post-deformation annealing. Based on these experimental observations, the main metallurgical mechanisms have been identified and modelled: hardening, nucleation of new grains, grain boundaries migration and the δ-phase- recrystallization interaction.A two-site mean field approach having a low computational cost was chosen to model the microstructural evolution at different thermomechanical conditions. This model describes the main mechanisms taking place during hot forming of Inconel 718 in both δ-Supersolvus and δ-Subsolvus domains and predicts the recrystallization kinetics in both dynamic and post-dynamic regimes , the δ-phase precipitation and dissolution kinetics and the grain size evolution. The model predicts also the strain-stress curves at high temperatures in the absence of δ-phase particles.

The Ni-base superalloy, IN-718, has been coated with alumina sols. Coated surfaces, carrying alumina layers having thicknesses between 0.6 μm and 3.6 μm show a significantly reduced oxidation rate when compared with uncoated reference surfaces, even if heating temperature is increased up to 900 °C and heating time is extended to 800 h. Alumina layers were prepared via sol-gel processing using a modified Yoldas procedure to obtain alumina sols. No change in rheological sol behavior was observed for more than 1 year of aging under static conditions at room temperature. Depending on pH value, modified Yoldas sols contain a manifold of Al species, among them Al13 polycations. Thermal evolution of sol derived alumina powders depends on Al speciation of parent sols. Depending on sol composition, both gamma-Al2O3 and eta-Al2O3 occur as intermediate transition aluminas. Phase composition and gas phase velocity influence oxygen permeability of thin layers prepared with modified Yoldas sols.

Das Ziel der Arbeit war die Weiterführung der Substrukturanalyse von plastisch verformten metallischen Werkstoffen mit kubischer Struktur auf der Basis des Disklinationskonzeptes unter Berücksichtigung unterschiedlicher homologer Temperaturen und Stapelfehlerenergien. Die Untersuchungen wurden an Stauchproben von Wolfram, Aluminium und der Legierung Inconel 718 mit Hilfe der TEM, der REM (EBSD) und der röntgenografischen Profilanalyse durchgeführt. Bei allen drei Werkstoffen konnten im Temperatur- und Umformbereich T/Ts<=0,3, Deformation>=0,3 auf der Basis von lokalen TEM-Desorientierungsmessungen Partialdisklinationen identifiziert und ihre Frankvektoren bzw. Defektstärken bestimmt werden. Die Ergebnisse der EBSD-Untersuchungen und der Röntgendiffraktometrie sind mit den TEM-Beobachtungen kompatibel und zeigen, dass die Kombination der drei Methoden für die systematische Substrukturanalyse an stark verformten Werkstoffen gut geeignet ist.

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