| The thermal aging effects on the microstructure, oxidation behavior at 900° and 1100°C, and mechanical properties of IC221M (Ni3Al based intermetallic alloy, ASTM A1002-99) were investigated. The microstructure consists of dendritic arms of the gamma (nickel solid solution) phase containing cube-shape gamma' (Ni3Al precipitates. The interdendritic regions are mostly gamma' (Ni3Al with up to 8 vol.% gamma + Ni5Zr eutectic constituents. Thermal aging effects on the microstructures and how microsegregation affects the oxidation behavior were examined. Four primary changes in the microstructures were observed: (1) there is considerable homogenization of the cast microstructures with aging, (2) the volume fraction of gamma' increases with aging time and temperature, (3) the gamma' phase coarsens, and (4) the volume fraction of the gamma + Ni5Zr eutectic constituents decreases.; During the initial stages of oxidation at 900°C, surface oxides form along the microsegregation patterns, revealing the cast microstructures. The first oxide to form is mostly NiO with small amounts of Cr2O 3, ZrO2, NiCr2O4, and theta-Al 2O3. Initial oxidation occurs primarily in the interdendritic regions due to microsegregation of alloying elements during casting. With further aging, the predominant surface oxides become NiO and NiAl2O 4 spinel, with a continuous film of alpha-Al2O3 forming immediately beneath them. Although these oxides are constrained to the near surface region, other oxides penetrate to greater depths, facilitated by oxidation of the gamma + Ni5Zr eutectic constituents. These oxides appear in the microstructure as long, thin spikes of ZrO2 surrounded by a sheath of Al2O3. They can penetrate to depths greater than 10 times that of the continuous surface oxide. The oxidation behavior at 1100°C is similar to that at 900°C, but the oxidation kinetics are faster, NiO dominates at all aging periods, and the surface oxides do not adhere to the matrix meaning that a protective oxide scale does not form. Energy dispersive x-ray techniques with multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) and ThermoCalc(TM) simulations were used to develop an understanding of the microstructural changes and oxidation behavior. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
