Physicochemical laws of the interaction of nickel aluminides with alloying elements: II. Interaction of nickel aluminides with alloying elements and/or interstitial phases

Abstract

The Ni-Al-X (X is an interstitial element or phase) phase diagrams are analyzed to reveal systems that can be used as the basis for designing promising alloys and natural composites based on nickel aluminides reinforced by interstitial phases (natural composites I). The most thermally stable materials are shown to be heterophase alloys and composite materials (CMs) located in the eutectic-type (including degenerate eutectic) pseudobinary sections of ternary or multicomponent phase diagrams. They exhibit insignificant (or zero) dissolution of interstitial phases at operating temperatures and the absence of an intense interaction between CM components (natural composites II). Natural composites I based on the NiAl-or Ni3Al-interstitial phase alloys produced upon cooling from a melt can be reinforced by the refractory thermally stable rigid interstitial phases, namely, borides and carbides, that are present in pseudobinary sections in equilibrium with these nickel aluminides, since the elements forming these phases dissolve completely in matrix melts and the mutual solubility of these phases in the solid state is low. Such borides are TiB2 and HfB2 in equilibrium with β-NiAl, and such carbides are, e.g., TiC and HfC in equilibrium with β-NiAl and La2C3, NbC, and TaC in equilibrium with γ′-Ni3Al. Natural composites II should be produced using solid-phase methods (NiAl with AlN, Y2O3, Al2O3) or a combination of methods, where a refractory interstitial phase of the Al2O3 or Y2O3 type is solid and the intermetallic NiAl or Ni3Al matrix is liquid. NiAl-TiB2 (HfB2), NiAl-Al2O3 (Y2O3), and Ni3Al-La2C3 (NbC, TaC) composites are considered as examples.