The Influence of Pd and Zr Co-Doping on the Microstructure and Oxidation Resistance of Aluminide Coatings on the CMSX-4 Nickel Superalloy

Pd + Zr co-doped aluminide coatings were deposited on the CMSX-4 nickel superalloy, widely used in the aircraft industry, in order to investigate their microstructure and improvement of oxidation resistance. Palladium was deposited by the electrochemical method, whereas zirconium and aluminum by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Coatings consist of two zones: the additive and the interdiffusion one. The additive zone contains β–(Ni,Pd)Al phase with some zirconium-rich precipitates close to the coating’s surface, whereas the interdiffusion zone consists of the same β–(Ni,Pd)Al phase with inclusions of refractory elements that diffused from the substrate, so called topologically closed-packed phases. Palladium dissolves in the β–NiAl phase and β–(Ni,Pd)Al phase is being formed. Pd + Zr co-doping improved the oxidation resistance of analysed coatings better than Pd mono-doping. Mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon and the synergistic effect of palladium and zirconium are discussed.

Changes in the structure of a thermal protective aluminum-nickel coating under the influence of a single thermal laser pulse

The regularities of changes in the structure and phase composition of the thermal protective aluminide-nickel coating (Ni — 45 %; Al — 14 %; Co — 22 %; Cr — 18.9 %; Fe — 0.15 %; Nb — 0.14 %; Y — 0.09 %; Ca — 0.06 %; Mn — 0.01 %; C — 0.15 %; Si — 0.15 %; S — 0.006 %) after exposure to short-term pulsed heat fluxes of various power, created by the radiation of a pulse-periodic laser LRS-150A with a radiation wavelength λ = 1.06 µm and a pulse duration τ = 12·10–3 s. The radiation energy was E = 5, 10, and 15 J. Microstructural analysis and the elemental composition of the resulting coating were carried out as well as analysis of the phase composition. X-ray microanalysis of the coating was also carried out. In the initial state and after irradiation of the coating with a heat flux of power P = 7·103 W/cm2, light microregions are observed in the micrographs of the surface. These regions do not have clearly defined external boundaries and consist of the NiAl phase and a small amount of the Ni3Al phase with the presence of inclusions of particles containing a solid solution of Ni – Co – Cr. After irradiation of the coating with heat fluxes of higher power (P = 1.7·104 W/cm2 and P = 2.2·104 W/cm2), large convex formations appeared on its surface, consisting mainly of Ni3Al and NiAl phases. On micrographs of the surface, they appear as white areas with well-defined outer boundaries. The content of the Ni3Al phase in them in comparison with the initial state increased, and the content of the NiAl phase decreased, while the particles of inclusions of Ni, Co, and Cr disappeared. It can be assumed that an increase in the Ni3Al content is associated with the dissolution of particles of a solid solution of Ni – Co and Cr in the melt and the subsequent diffusion of nickel into the NiAl phase. When exposed to a heat flux of power P = 2.2·104 W/cm2, microcracks appear on the areas of the coating surface covered with aluminum oxide.

Effect of Chemical Composition on Grain Refinement of AlxCoCrFeNi High Entropy Alloys with NiAl Grain Boundary Precipitates

In AlxCoCrFeNi high entropy alloys (x = 0.3–0.5), the NiAl phase with the B2 structure is precipitated rapidly along the fcc grain boundaries. During recrystallization after conventional cold rolling, the NiAl precipitates effectively suppress the grain growth, which results in the ultrafine-grained microstructure. It should be noted that no severe plastic deformation is necessary to obtain the microstructure. The volume fraction of the NiAl precipitates increases with increasing x. As a result, the average grain size of the fcc matrix (dm) after the recrystallization decreases with increasing x, and therefore, a minimum dm of 0.5 μm can be obtained at x = 0.5. The grain refinement by the NiAl precipitates is consistent with the Zener-Smith model. At x = 0.5, the alloy with dm = 0.5 μm exhibits a yield stress of 1163 MPa and an elongation of 24% at room temperature.

Influence of Different Annealing Atmospheres on the Mechanical Properties of Freestanding MCrAlY Bond Coats Investigated by Micro-Tensile Creep Tests

The mechanical properties of low-pressure plasma sprayed (LPPS) MCrAlY (M = Ni, Co) bond coats, Amdry 386, Amdry 9954 and oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Amdry 9954 (named Amdry 9954 + ODS) were investigated after annealing in three atmospheres: Ar–O2, Ar–H2O, and Ar–H2–H2O. Freestanding bond coats were investigated to avoid any influence from the substrate. Miniaturized cylindrical tensile specimens were produced by a special grinding process and then tested in a thermomechanical analyzer (TMA) within a temperature range of 900–950 °C. Grain size and phase fraction of all bond coats were investigated by EBSD before testing and no difference in microstructure was revealed due to annealing in various atmospheres. The influence of annealing in different atmospheres on the creep strength was not very pronounced for the Co-based bond coats Amdry 9954 and Amdry 9954 + ODS in the tested conditions. The ODS bond coats revealed significantly higher creep strength but a lower strain to failure than the ODS-free Amdry 9954. The Ni-based bond coat Amdry 386 showed higher creep strength than Amdry 9954 due to the higher fraction of the β-NiAl phase. Additionally, its creep properties at 900 °C were much more affected by annealing in different atmospheres. The bond coat Amdry 386 annealed in an Ar–H2O atmosphere showed a significantly lower creep rate than the bond coat annealed in Ar–O2 and Ar–H2–H2O atmospheres.

Microstructure and Positron Lifetimes of Aluminide Coatings on Inconel 713

The microstructure of the palladium modified and non-modified aluminide coatings was examined by the EDS and the positron annihilation spectroscopy methods. Both coatings have a double layer structure: β-NiAl phase or β-(Ni,Pd)Al phase on the top and the interdiffusion zones with the chromium and molybdenum rich phases in the β-NiAl or or β-(Ni,Pd)Al phase below. Palladium, that forms the β-(Ni,Pd)Al phase and substitutes for nickel atoms causes the increase of the positron lifetime value due to the increase in the number of open volume defects in the lattice which are jogs or vacancies on dislocation lines.

Oxidation Resistance of Modified Aluminide Coatings

The application of protective aluminide coatings is an effective way to increase the oxidation resistance of the treated parts and prolongs their lifetime. The addition of small amount of noble metals (platinum or palladium) or reactive elements such as: hafnium, zirconium, yttrium and cerium has a beneficial effect on oxidation behavior. This beneficial effect includes an improvement of adhesion of alumina scales and reduction of oxide scale growth rate. Platinum and hafnium or zirconium modified aluminide coating were deposited on pure nickel using the electroplating and CVD methods. The coatings consisted of two layers: an outer, β-NiAl phase and the interdiffusion γ’-Ni3Al phase. Palladium dissolved in the whole coating, whereas hafnium and zirconium formed inclusions on the border of the layers. Samples were subjected to cyclic oxidation test at 1100 °C for 200h. Oxidation resistance of the palladium, Hf+Pd and Zr+Pd modified coatings deposited on pure nickel does not differ significantly, but is better than the oxidation resistance of the non-modified one.