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The effect of oxidation on microstructures of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy during heat-treatment and simulated service conditions

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Abstract

Understanding the oxidation of Ni-based single crystal (SX) superalloys is significantly important because oxidation can damage the microstructure and eventually lead to failure of the alloy. Using advanced scanning/transmission electron microscopy, oxidation effects on the microstructure of a SX superalloy during heat treatment and simulated service (stress/temperature coupling) conditions are systematically investigated in order to reveal oxide microstructures and oxidation mechanisms. Heat treatment in argon results in less weight loss, thinner γ′-free layer and fewer internal oxidation than that treated in air. But the oxide layer structures and influence depths of oxidation in both atmospheres are similar. External tensile stress not only accelerates the oxidation of alloy but also affects the oxide microstructures. Moreover, stress effects on the oxidation microstructure depend on temperature. At 750 °C, Ni–Co oxides are formed on the alloy surface, followed by the inner layer of Ni–Co–Mo–Re–W oxides at the location of original γ phase under stress free condition. As the stress increases, an oxide layer mainly containing Al, Cr, Nb, Mo and Re elements is formed between the above two oxide layers. When temperature increases to 1050 °C, as applied tensile stress increases, the thickness of oxide layer increases but the structure of oxide layer is not obviously changed.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Basic Science Center Program for Multiphase Media Evolution in Hypergravity of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51988101), the Key R & D Project of Zhejiang Province (No. 2020C01002), Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (No. LQ20E010008), National Science and Technology Major Project of China (J2019-III-0008-0051), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52201027 & 91960201).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Zaishi Liu, Qingqing Ding, Qian Zhou, Xia Yao, Xiao Wei, Xinbao Zhao, Yong Wang, Ze Zhang & Hongbin Bei

  2. Polytechnic Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Zaishi Liu

  3. State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Ze Zhang

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  1. Zaishi Liu
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  2. Qingqing Ding
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Contributions

ZL: Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. QD: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. QZ: Investigation, Writing—Writing—review & editing. XY: Investigation, Writing—Writing—review & editing. XW: Resources, Writing—review & editing. XZ: Resources, Writing—review & editing. YW: Resources, Writing—review & editing. ZZ: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Resources, Writing—review & editing, Supervision. HB: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing, Supervision. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Qingqing Ding, Ze Zhang or Hongbin Bei.

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Handling Editor: Catalin Croitoru.

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Liu, Z., Ding, Q., Zhou, Q. et al. The effect of oxidation on microstructures of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy during heat-treatment and simulated service conditions. J Mater Sci 58, 6343–6360 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-023-08412-8

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