Structure of Vacuum Brazed BNi-5 Joint of Inconel 718

Abstract

Structural investigations of the brazed joint of Inconel 718 with BNi-5 filler metal were carried out on specimens with geometries simulating a real joint. Three identification methods applied in parallel were used. Fused and solidified filler metal showed the presence of at least four microstructural components: the dominant γ-solid solution, two binary eutectics (G phase + γ) and (θ-phase + γ@#@), and prismatic objects identified as cr-phase. The influence of brazing time and temperature was studied with specimens heated in accordance with three different thermal regimes. The Ni-base γ-phase solidifies in dendritic form and contains Cr, Fe, Nb, and Mo, the concentrations of which are dependent on the thermal regime and on the distance from the former liquid-solid interface. The intermetallics (G, 0) and the matrix form binary and ternary eutectics. In overheated brazed joints the filler metal penetrates into the grain boundaries of the base metal, resulting in the formation of new phases. The dominant phase was identified as a hexagonal Laves phase (λ,). The diffusion zone in the base metal can be divided into two subregions. In subregion I the precipitating phase is a Nb-rich G-phase, while in subregion II, the depth of which can be directly related to the width of the gap, preferentially oriented carbides of Nb and Ti are formed. The phase formation in the BNi-5 brazing of Inconel 718 may be described by a quasi-quarternary diagram on the Ni-Cr-Nb-Si system.