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The Effects of Silicon and Niobium Concentration on the Solidification Behavior and Microstructure of Cast Monel Alloys

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Abstract

Cast Monel alloys are used in applications requiring a combination of good mechanical properties and excellent resistance to corrosion. Despite prevalent industrial use, relatively few studies have been conducted to investigate the relationships between composition, solidification behavior, and microstructure. Given that these alloys are used in the cast and welded conditions, these factors have a significant influence over the material properties. In this work, microstructural characterization, electron probe microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry were used to study how changes in Si and Nb concentrations affected the solidification path and microstructure of Monel alloys. It was found that increasing Nb concentration stabilized higher amounts of MC carbides and suppressed graphite formation during solidification. It was also found that the high nominal concentration and segregation of Si to the liquid led to the formation of Ni31Si12 and other silicides via terminal eutectic reactions at the end of solidification. A pseudo-binary solidification diagram was constructed using experimental data and was applied to predict the mass fraction of solidified eutectic as a function of composition. The modeled microstructures were found to be in good agreement with experimentally measured phase fractions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Richard Hardin for his valuable contribution in performing the MAGMASOFT modeling work. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

This research is sponsored by the DLA-Troop Support, Philadelphia, PA, and the Defense Logistics Agency Information Operations, J68, Research & Development, Ft. Belvoir, VA.

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  1. Lehigh University, 5 E Packer Ave, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA

    C. J. Farnin & J. N. DuPont

  2. Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA

    E. N. Coker & P. A. Salinas

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Farnin, C.J., Coker, E.N., Salinas, P.A. et al. The Effects of Silicon and Niobium Concentration on the Solidification Behavior and Microstructure of Cast Monel Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 54, 4716–4730 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-023-07193-8

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