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Effects of short-term overtemperature on Rene 80 DS were studied using Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulation apparatus. Volume fraction of gamma prime to gamma matrix was quantified and used to assess the effects of time, temperature and stress. Volume fraction was found to decrease with increasing temperature and time. Dissolution was found to occur through both solid and liquid state dissolution. Application of tensile stress was found to influence dissolution behaviour of gamma prime. / May 2017

The nickel-based superalloys have been a key enabler to the development of modern gas turbine engines. Since their introduction the chemical complexity of these alloys has increased significantly, with current generation nickel-based superalloys usually containing over 10 different elements. It is this combination of alloying additions that is responsible for the superior high temperature properties these alloys exhibit. Traditionally, alloy design has invoked considerable use of trial-and-error based approaches involving costly and exhaustive processing backed up by empirical property testing. In this work a computational materials design approach is developed. This method links physically-faithful composition-dependent models with thermodynamic calculations to understand material behaviour. By doing this it is possible to consider large compositional design spaces and isolate alloys expected to have optimal performance for specific applications. The scope of this research has been to apply the computational model to the design of a polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy for turbine disc applications in next generation jet engines. The design trade-offs encountered when developing the new alloy are highlighted. Alloy compositions which are predicted to be optimal for turbine disc applications are isolated. These alloys have been manufactured using a scaled down version of the commercial production method. The newly manufactured alloys have been characterised using microstructural evaluation, mechanical testing and corrosion testing. The experimental results have been compared with modelling predictions in order to determine the capability of the computational approach.

Residual stresses are the stresses which are present within a component without any external load. They can be introduced through any number of manufacturing processes and in-service conditions, meaning that they are almost ubiquitous in engineering components. The characterisation of residual stress is an important field of research particularly in an engineering context since the effects of residual stress sum with the loads. As a result, the performance of a component can be greatly enhanced, or significantly reduced, by the presence of residual stress depending on the sign of the stress and the applied load. In this EngD thesis the focus has been on the development of residual stress through the manufacturing processes of aero-engine forgings, specifically the turbine disc. The forgings studied were sub-scale geometries of the disc, forged from the nickel-base superalloy RR1000. The overall aim of this work is to improve the understanding of the residual stress generation and relaxation through implementation of advanced experimental characterisation techniques, with a view to improving current stress predicting process modelling capabilities. With this in mind the work has focussed on the use of neutron diffraction and the contour method to characterise residual stress experimentally, while residual stress predictions have been made using finite element modelling. The findings of this research indicated that very large residual stresses were generated as a result of the quenching process, and that these stresses were then relaxed and redistributed by ageing heat treatments and material removal by machining. The results obtained through the two experimental techniques exhibited very strong agreement, indicated a robust experimental process. Comparisons to the finite element predictions highlighted some issues with the current model; in particular it was found that the simulation of quenching could be improved by better definition of the heat transfer at the surface. Furthermore, the level of stress relaxation during ageing was consistently over predicted in the model. This result is thought to be the result of an over-prediction of the level primary creep in the alloy. Subsequent studies will investigate this behaviour further using the newly developed in-situ heat treatment capabilities which have developed as part of this research.

Hydrogen embrittlement is a mechanism by which hydrogen enters a metal, causing a loss in strength and ductility. This phenomenon is of great concern to the oil and gas industry as deep-sea wells operate in high temperature, highly acidic and high stress conditions. Nickel-based superalloys are ideal for use in such environments due to their high strength and exceptional resistance to both corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement. Alloy 945X is a newly developed nickel-based superalloy that has been specifically designed for use in downhole applications. This thesis compares the performance of hydrogenated Alloy 945X with the more established oil and gas grade Alloy 718. The hydrogenating environment of an oil well was simulated via cathodic polarisation. The effect of hydrogen content on the tensile performance of both alloys was studied, alongside fracture and microstructural analysis. A new video-recording technique was employed to investigate the crack initiation and propagation behaviour of both alloys, alongside in-SEM tensile testing. The diffusive nature of hydrogen in Alloy 945X and Alloy 718 was explored. With the use of a ppm-sensitive hydrogen analyser, it was possible to measure the rate at which hydrogen enters and outgassed from both materials as well as the saturation conentrations. Outgassing behaviour was also examined using X-ray diffraction and nano-indentation. The depth of brittle fracture in cathodically charged tensile specimens was correlated with Fick’s diffusion calculations and the critical concentration for embrittlement calculated. In a similar method, a parameter (based on diffusion coefficient calculations) that describes the rate of embrittlement in a material was proposed.

Microchannel process technology (MPT) components are chemical unit operations which exploit highly-parallel arrays of microchannels to process large fluid volumes for portable and distributed applications. Microchannel heat exchangers (MCHXs) have demonstrated 3 to 5 times higher heat fluxes when compared to conventional heat exchangers resulting in proportionate reductions in size and weight. The most common fabrication approach for producing MPT components is microchannel lamination, or microlamination, in which thin layers of metal or polymer are patterned with microchannel features, registered, and bonded to produce monolithic components. Currently, the most common microlamination architecture involves the photochemical machining and diffusion bonding of metal foils. Prior work has established that the yields in diffusion bonding often drive the costs of MCHXs. Laser keyhole welding has been proposed as an alternative bonding technology providing the potential for faster cycle times, smaller weld widths and layer-to-layer evaluation of hermeticity leading to higher yields. Furthermore, laser weldments have small heat-affected zones providing excellent mechanical strength. In this study, efforts are made to evaluate the feasibility of using laser welding in the microlamination of a high-temperature counter-flow heat exchanger made of a Ni superalloy. Preliminary efforts were focused on the development and validation of weld strength estimation models. These models were then used to narrow down the range of process parameters and a final set of process parameters was determined through the use of a full factorial experiment with weld strength, joining efficiency and weld gap as response variables. The most acceptable parameter set was used to demonstrate the fabrication of a Haynes 214 microchannel array with adequate bond strength and hermeticity and minimal thermal warpage. / Graduation date: 2013

Inconel 738, which is a nickel base superalloy used for hot section components of aircraft and industrial turbines is difficult to fabricate and repair by fusion welding due to its susceptibility to heat affected zone (HAZ) intergranular cracking. Crack-free joining of the difficult-to-weld alloy is currently achieved by using linear friction welding (LFW). Nevertheless, oxidation along the joint during LFW is a major problem. Information about the effect of process parameters on the microstructural evolution of linear friction welded nickel base alloys is very limited. In this work, the effect of forging pressure on the microstructure of linear friction welded Inconel 738 was studied. The results as elucidated in this work showed that increased forging pressure caused strain-induced rapid solidification of metastable liquid, which resulted in complete elimination of deleterious liquid phase oxides in bonded material contrasting the generally accepted view that assumes extrusion of solid state oxides during LFW.

Inconel 738, which is a nickel base superalloy used for hot section components of aircraft and industrial turbines is difficult to fabricate and repair by fusion welding due to its susceptibility to heat affected zone (HAZ) intergranular cracking. Crack-free joining of the difficult-to-weld alloy is currently achieved by using linear friction welding (LFW). Nevertheless, oxidation along the joint during LFW is a major problem. Information about the effect of process parameters on the microstructural evolution of linear friction welded nickel base alloys is very limited. In this work, the effect of forging pressure on the microstructure of linear friction welded Inconel 738 was studied. The results as elucidated in this work showed that increased forging pressure caused strain-induced rapid solidification of metastable liquid, which resulted in complete elimination of deleterious liquid phase oxides in bonded material contrasting the generally accepted view that assumes extrusion of solid state oxides during LFW.

abstract: Structural stability and performance of structural materials is important for energy production, whether renewable or non renewable, to have uninterrupted energy supply, that is economically feasible and safe. High temperature metallic materials used in the turbines of AORA, an Israel-based clean energy producer, often experience high temperature, high stress and foreign object damage (FOD). In this study, efforts were made to study the effects of FOD on the fatigue life of these materials and to understand their failure mechanisms. The foreign objects/debris recovered by AORA were characterized using Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) to identify composition and phases. To perform foreign object damage experiment a gas gun was built and results of XRD and EDS were used to select particles to mimic FOD in lab experiments for two materials of interest to AORA: Hastelloy X and SS 347. Electron Backscattering Diffraction, hardness and tensile tests were also performed to characterize microstructure and mechanical properties. Fatigue tests using at high temperature were performed on dog bone samples with and without FOD and the fracture surfaces and well as the regions affected by FOD were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to understand the failure mechanism. The findings of these study indicate that FOD is causing multiple secondary cracks at and around the impact sites, which can potentially grow to coalesce and remove pieces of material, and the multisite damage could also lead to lower fatigue lives, despite the fact that the FOD site was not always the most favorable for initiation of the fatal fatigue crack. It was also seen by the effect of FOD on fatigue life that SS 347 is more susceptible to FOD than Hastelloy X. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Materials Science and Engineering 2016

This master´s thesis deals with the issues of electroerosive machining material used in aerospace industry. The master´s thesis is divided into the theoretical and practical part. In the theoretical part is described electroerosive machining with a focus on electrical discharge sinking. One section of the theoretical part is an analysis of materials used in the aerospace industry. The practical part of the master´s thesis is focused on electrical discharge sinking of aerospace material INCO 713LC, here is investigated the influence of machining parameters on the surface of the workpiece and tool.