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Characterization of the as-cast microstructure and selected properties of the X-40 Co-based superalloy produced via lost-wax casting

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Abstract

The X-40 Co-based superalloy is often used in the aerospace industry directly in as-cast condition and its analysis in this state is essential to understand further possible phase transformations during service. With this in mind, this work focuses on characterizing the material’s as-cast microstructure, phase transformation temperatures and oxidation resistance. Observations and analyses were performed via thermodynamic simulations, X-ray diffraction (XRD), light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning-transmission electron microscopy (STEM-HAADF), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), dilatometry (DIL) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The microstructure of the dendritic regions consisted of the α matrix, with MC, M7C3 and M23C6 carbides being present in the interdendritic spaces. Based on DIL, it was found that precipitation of the Cr-rich carbides from the saturated α matrix may occur in the range 650–750 °C. DSC determined the incipient melting and liquidus temperatures of the X-40 superalloy during heating to be 1405 °C and 1421 °C, respectively. Based on oxidation resistance tests carried out at 860 °C, it was found that the mass gain after 500 h exposure was 3 times higher in the air than in steam.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding by National Centre for Research and Development, Poland, under grant POIR.01.01.01-00-0631/18. The oxidation resistance experiments were supported by the Polish National Science Centre (Preludium 14) under the grant for young scientists (M.G.R.) 2017/27/N/ST8/01801. M.G.R. thanks the European Virtual Institute on Knowledge-based Multifunctional Materials (KMM‐VIN) for the fellowship to spend a research period at the Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences. O.M. was supported by the Scientific Grant Agency under contract VEGA project No. 2/0086/22.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland

    Łukasz Rakoczy, Bogdan Rutkowski, Tomasz Kargul & Anna Zielińska-Lipiec

  2. Łukasiewicz Research Network-Kraków Institute of Technology, Zakopiańska 73, 30-418, Kraków, Poland

    Małgorzata Grudzień-Rakoczy, Tomasz Dudziak & Ewa Rząd

  3. Investment Casting Division, Consolidated Precision Products Corporation, Hetmańska 120, 35-078, Rzeszow, Poland

    Rafał Cygan

  4. Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01, Kosice, Slovakia

    Ondrej Milkovič

  5. Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01, Kosice, Slovakia

    Ondrej Milkovič

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  1. Łukasz Rakoczy
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Rakoczy, Ł., Grudzień-Rakoczy, M., Cygan, R. et al. Characterization of the as-cast microstructure and selected properties of the X-40 Co-based superalloy produced via lost-wax casting. Archiv.Civ.Mech.Eng 22, 143 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43452-022-00466-w

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