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Atom Probe Microscopy of Strengthening Effects in Alloy 718

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2019

Felix Theska ,
Simon Peter Ringer  and
Sophie Primig
Felix Theska
Affiliation:
School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
Simon Peter Ringer
Affiliation:
Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis, and School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
Sophie Primig*
Affiliation:
School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
*
*Author for correspondence: Sophie Primig, E-mail: s.primig@unsw.edu.au
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Abstract

Polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys for aerospace and power generation applications are often precipitation hardened to achieve strengthening at elevated temperatures. Here, atom probe microscopy has become an essential tool to study the complex morphology of nanoscale precipitates. This study focuses on Alloy 718, which is hardened by semi-coherent, ordered γ′ (Ni3(Al, Ti)) and γ″ (Ni3(Nb)) particles. According to previous research, these particles often occur as duplets or triplets with a stacking sequence dependent on prior processing. This creates various interfaces with a strong impact on the mechanical properties, highlighting the importance of quantitative studies which are challenging with electron microscopy. We present atom probe data reconstruction and analysis approaches particularly suited for precipitation hardened superalloys. While voltage atom probe allows for an accurate reconstruction, the acquired data volume is often limited. Laser-assisted atom probe provides statistically significant data, but the loss of crystallographic information requires correlation with voltage-mode datasets. We further describe an advanced iso-surface method where initially arbitrarily chosen concentration thresholds of Al + Ti for γ′ and Nb for γ″ particles are optimized. Recognizing the importance of the precipitate stacking order, the different types of precipitate interfaces are quantified, and these methods may be applicable to other engineering alloys.

Keywords

atom probe crystallographyatom probe microscopyNi-based superalloyprecipitationthermo-mechanical processing
Type
Materials Science: Metals
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 25 , Special Issue 2: Atom Probe Tomography and Microscopy APT&M 2018 , April 2019 , pp. 470 - 480
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2019 

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