Diffusion Brazing of Single Crystalline Nickel Base Superalloys Using Boron Free Nickel Base Braze Alloys

Abstract

Brazing is a well established repair technique for high temperature components in both industrial gas turbines and aero engines. Conventional nickel base braze alloys contain boron or silicon as melting point depressing elements. The major benefit of boron and silicon compared to other melting point depressants is its large effect on the melting point and its high diffusion coefficient in nickel base superalloys. However these elements promote precipitation of undesired brittle phases during the brazing process. To avoid these phases, transient liquid phase bonding in combination with boron and silicon free brazing alloys will be examined in this work. The influence of the brazing temperature on solidification and diffusion behaviour during transient liquid phase bonding for a single crystalline first generation and a second generation superalloy will be reported. Our experiments show that isothermal solidification without precipitation of brittle phases in the braze joint or the base material can be achieved. The brazed joint consists of fine γ/γ´ microstructure. EBSD measurements demonstrated that the single crystalline orientation of the base material was maintained throughout the joint. Electron probe micro analysis is used to characterize the diffusion behaviour. Solidification velocity will be compared with the theory of transient liquid phase bonding established by Tuah-Poku [1].