Deformation Mechanisms and Strain Storage During Forging of Powder-Metallurgy Nickel-base Turbine Disk Alloy

Abstract

Nickel-based superalloys account for 50% of the total weight of high temperature gas turbine engines. Increasing the lifespan and temperature capabilities of superalloy turbine blades and disks can significantly increase the efficiency and cost of the engines. The properties of superalloy disk materials, including strength and fatigue resistance, are sensitive to the grain structure at the end of a series of thermomechanical processing. To date, there have been few fundamental studies on deformation mechanisms and microstructural evolution under conditions relevant to forging of superalloy disk materials. In this study, high temperature compression testing combined with high resolution Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis has been used to analyze microstructural-scale straining processes that occur during high temperature deformation of a powder-consolidated nickel-based superalloy, René 88DT. Orientation imaging has been employed to study grain-level straining and strain storage at temperatures, strains, and strain rates of interest. Two distinct deformation mechanisms were observed using these techniques. At strain rates below 0.001/s, superplastic deformation dominates at temperature between 1241K (968˚C) and 1323K (1050˚C). At strain rates above 0.001/s, a combination of superplastic and power-law creep deformation mechanisms is evident. At the highest strain rates, power-law creep deformation dominates. Using experimental evidence along with previous studies, constitutive models of deformation mechanisms and microstructure evolution during high temperature compression are proposed. The proposed models predict the boundaries of deformation mechanisms along with the material response to imposed deformation conditions such as superplasticity-enhanced grain growth and dynamic recrystallization.