Ductilization of Ni 3Al by alloying with zirconium

Abstract

Ni{sub 3}Al, which has a L1{sub 2} structure, is an ordered compound which can be a very promising candidate for various high temperature applications. The lack of room temperature ductility and high temperature creep resistance of Ni{sub 3}Al in polycrystalline form, however, hinder this compound from practical use. While a small addition of boron(B) to Ni-rich polycrystalline Ni{sub 3}Al resulted in a remarkable improvement in room temperature ductility, however, brittleness and low creep resistance at elevated temperature have remained as the major barriers for its practical use as a high temperature structural material. Recent results showed that the substitutional element zirconium (Zr) is an effective element in increasing the creep resistance of Ni{sub 3}Al. In order to know the ductilizing effect and mechanism of Ni{sub 3}Al alloys by alloying with Zr, further information is needed. The aims of the present study is to examine the effects of Zr content on the ductility and the strength of the alloys with the composition of Ni-24Al-XZr (X is Zr content, in at. %).