This work assesses the effects of the surface recrystallization of the processing of water grit blasting, grit blasting and mechanically polishing on the microstructures and creep rupture properties of DD6 alloy, a low-cost second generation single crystal superalloy. The results demonstrate that the possibility and the depth of the surface recrystallization of DD6 show an increase as the annealing temperature increases from 1050°C to 1250°C. No surface recrystallization happens when the specimens of the alloy have been undergone at 1100°C for 4 hours after water grit blasting, but the surface recrystallization occurs at the annealing temperature above 1200°C for 4 hours after water grit blasting. The test indicates that the increasing pre-deformation decreases the surface recrystallization temperature. The creep rupture life of DD6 alloy without processing is 274.4 hours, 341.1 hours at the conditions of 980°C/250MPa, 1070°C/140MPa respectively. After annealing at 1100°C for 4 hours, the creep rupture life of the alloy with the processing of water grit blasting is equivalent to that of the alloy without processing. The surface recrystallization of the alloy happens with the processing of grit blasting after the annealing at 1100°C for 4 hours, and there is a reduction of the creep rupture life at the conditions as mentioned above. The creep properties of DD6 alloy meet the needs of blades and vanes of single crystal for advanced aeroengines when the surface recrystallization of the alloy occurs during manufacturing and processing.
Effect of long-term thermal exposure on microstructure and creep properties of DD5 single crystal superalloy