Influence of rare-earth metals on the high-temperature strength of Ni3Al-based alloys

Abstract

The influence of the content of reaction- and surface-active alloying elements (rare-earth metals (REMs)) and the method of their introduction into cast high-temperature γ′-Ni3Al-based intermetallic alloys, which are thermally stable natural eutectic composites, on their structure-phase state and the mechanical properties is studied. The life of low-alloy heterophase γ′ + γ cast high-temperature light Ni3Al-based alloys is shown can be increased at temperatures exceeding 0.8Tm (Tm is the melting temperature of Ni3Al) due to additional stabilization of the single-crystal structure of these alloys with submicron and nanometer-sized particles of the phases formed by refractory and active REMs. It is also shown that stage-by-stage fractional introduction of all components into alloys during vacuum induction melting with allowance for their reaction activities (most refractory metals are introduced in the form of low-melting-point master alloys at the first stage of vacuum induction melting, and lanthanum is introduced with a master alloy in the optimal contents of 0.1–2 wt % into the charge of VKNA-1V and VKNA-25 alloys at the final stage) leads to the formation of a modified structure stabilized by nanoprecipitates of nickel and aluminum lanthanides and the phases formed by refractory metals. This method increases the life of VKNV-1V-type alloys (0.5 wt % Re) at 1000–1200°C by a factor of ∼1.7 and that of VKNA-25-type alloys (1.2 wt % Re and Co) by a factor of ∼3.