Study on the Microstructures of NbC Fiber Reinforced Eutectic Nickel-based Alloy under Super-high Thermal Gradient Directional Solidification
Author of the article:PEI Jiawei, YANG Min, YANG Dongwei, CUI Tingting, YANG Fan, GUO Min, YANG Wenchao, ZHANG Jun
Author's Workplace:State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072, China
Key Words:eutectic nickel-based alloy; carbide fiber; solidified structure; melt temperature; pulling rate
Abstract:
NbC fiber reinforced high-temperature eutectic nickel-based alloys were prepared using liquid metal cooling
(LMC) directional solidification process. By using methods such as SEM, XRD, EDS, and EPMA, the microstructures and
formation mechanisms of eutectic nickel-based alloys in different regions were analysed. The effects of various process
parameters, including the pulling rates (v=2、 7 and 12 μm/s) and melt temperatures (T=1 550、 1 580 and 1 600 ℃), on the
microstructures were studied. According to the differences in microstructural types and morphologies, directionally
solidified eutectic nickel-based alloys can be divided into two regions, i.e. the start zone and the composite zone. The start
zone is mainly composed of Nb-rich and W-rich block carbides, while the composite zone above the start zone is mainly
composed of distributed NbC fibers arranged in a directional manner. The growth of NbC fibers during directional
solidification can be divided into three stagess, namely, the initial stage, competitive stage, and stabilizing stage, based on
the changes in morphology and special distribution of the NbC phase. As the pulling rate increases, the volume fraction of
the NbC fiber increases, and the mass fractions of C, Nb, and W in the NbC fibers decreases, with a more significant
decrease in the Nb content. As the melt temperature increases, the volume fraction, cross-sectional area, and spacing of the
NbC fibers all increase, and the mass fractions of C, Nb, and W in the NbC fibers also increase, with a more significant
increase in the W content.