Effect of Weak Transverse Magnetic Field on the Competitive Grain Growth of Ni-Based Superalloy with Divergent Bi-Crystals

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00438

Acta Metall Sin

2025, Vol. 61

Issue (8): 1203-1216 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00438

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Effect of Weak Transverse Magnetic Field on the Competitive Grain Growth of Ni-Based Superalloy with Divergent Bi-Crystals

XIE Xinliang¹, ZHOU Liping¹, YU Jianbo²(

), XUAN Weidong², CHEN Chaoyue², WANG Jiang², REN Zhongming²(

)

^1.Key Laboratory for Light-Weight Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
^2.State Key laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China

Cite this article:

XIE Xinliang, ZHOU Liping, YU Jianbo, XUAN Weidong, CHEN Chaoyue, WANG Jiang, REN Zhongming. Effect of Weak Transverse Magnetic Field on the Competitive Grain Growth of Ni-Based Superalloy with Divergent Bi-Crystals. Acta Metall Sin, 2025, 61(8): 1203-1216.

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Abstract

Ni-based single-crystal superalloys have excellent high-temperature mechanical properties and creep properties, rendering them as preferred turbine blade materials in advanced aerospace and gas engines. Controlling competitive grain growth during directional solidification is of great substantial importance for achieving high-quality single-crystal blades. As an external physical field, a static magnetic field can be used to effectively control material forming. The use of static magnetic fields during directional solidification has evolved as an effective method for controlling microstructures and grain growth. However, the influence of static magnetic fields on competitive grain growth during the directional solidification of Ni-based superalloys requires further investigation. Therefore, this study explored the competitive growth behavior of divergent grains during the directional solidification of Ni-based superalloy using bi-crystal seeds at various withdrawal rates under a weak transverse magnetic field (0.1 and 0.7 T). Results showed that the favorably oriented grain (grain A) overgrew the unfavorably oriented grain (grain B) without the application of a magnetic field, and the overgrowth rate was independent of the withdrawal rate. The application of a magnetic field substantially changed the overgrowth rate of divergent bi-crystals, and the overgrowth rate was affected by the placed patterns of the divergent bi-crystals and the withdrawal rate. When the divergent bi-crystal seeds were placed under the magnetic field in an A-to-B pattern, with the favorably oriented grain A positioned on the left side and the unfavorably oriented grain B on the right side, the side branching of favorably oriented grain was suppressed at the grain boundary (GB), decreasing the overgrowth rate of divergent bi-crystals. However, when the divergent bi-crystal seeds were placed under the magnetic field in a B-to-A pattern, with the unfavorably oriented grain B on the left side and the favorably oriented grain A on the right side, branching from the favorably oriented grain at the GB was enhanced, increasing the overgrowth rate of divergent bi-crystals. With increasing the withdrawal rate, the effect of the magnetic field on slowing down or accelerating the grain overgrowth rate gradually diminished. In addition, a tilted interface and refined dendrites were observed under a transverse magnetic field, especially at a low withdrawal rate. The application of a magnetic field produces a thermomagnetic convective effect at the interdendrite that changes the solute distribution at the divergent bi-crystal GBs, thereby affecting the side branching behavior of dendrites at GBs. With increasing withdrawal rate, the effect of thermoelectric magnetic convection on dendrite side branching at GBs is weakened.

Key words: Ni-based superalloy competitive grain growth transverse magnetic field thermoelectric magnetic convection

Received: 06 November 2023

ZTFLH:

TG132.3

Fund: National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFA0705300);National Major Research Instrument Development Project of China(52127807)

Corresponding Authors: YU Jianbo, professor, Tel: (021)56331102, E-mail: jbyu@shu.edu.cn;

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	XIE Xinliang
	ZHOU Liping
	YU Jianbo
	XUAN Weidong
	CHEN Chaoyue
	WANG Jiang
	REN Zhongming

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00438 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2025/V61/I8/1203

Fig.1 Schematics of two patterns of the divergent bi-crystal seeds placed in a transverse static magnetic field (θ_A—tilt angle between the <001> direction of grain A and axial direction, θ_B—tilt angle between the <001> direction of grain B and axial direction)
(a) pattern A-to-B (b) pattern B-to-A

Fig.2 Schematic of the determination and calculation of θ_GB (a) and the plane view cut from the centerline perpendicular to the interface of bi-crystal seeds (b) (R—radial displacement of the grain boundary (GB) started from the starting position of solidification (seed crystal remelting interface) to the observation cross section, L—distance between the starting position of solidification and the observation cross section, θ_GB—GB deviation angle between grain A and grain B)

Fig.3 Cross-sectional microstructures of the divergent bi-crystals directional solidification specimens at different heights without magnetic field at withdrawal rates of 1 mm/min (a1-a3) and 3 mm/min (b1-b3)
(a1, b1) 20 mm (a2, b2) 30 mm (a3, b3) 40 mm

Fig.4 Longitudinal microstructures of the divergent bi-crystals at the initial solidification stage at withdrawal rates of 0.5 mm/min (a) and 3 mm/min (b)

Fig.5 θ_GB of the divergent bi-crystals as a function of the withdrawal rates without the magnetic field

Fig.6 Longitudinal microstructures (a1-d1), and transversal microstructures at the positions of 20 mm (a2-d2) and 30 mm (a3-d3) from the directional solidification starting place of the divergent bi-crystals at various withdrawal rates under the magnetic field of 0.1 T with the divergent bi-crystals placed in an A-to-B pattern ( B —transverse magnetic field)
(a1-a3) 0.5 mm/min (b1-b3) 1 mm/min (c1-c3) 1.5 mm/min (d1-d3) 3 mm/min

Fig.7 Longitudinal microstructures (a1-d1) and transversal microstructures at the position of 20 mm (a2-d2) from the directional solidification starting place of the divergent bi-crystals at various withdrawal rates under the magnetic field of 0.1 T with the bi-crystals placed in a B-to-A pattern
(a1, a2) 0.5 mm/min (b1, b2) 1 mm/min (c1, c2) 1.5 mm/min (d1, d2) 3 mm/min

Fig.8 θ_GB of the divergent bi-crystals as a function of withdrawal rate under the magnetic fields of 0, 0.1, and 0.7 T

Fig.9 Longitudinal solidification microstructures at various withdrawal rates under 0.1 T magnetic field with the divergent bi-crystals placed in an A-to-B pattern (L—liquid, S—solid)
(a) 0.5 mm/min (b) 1 mm/min (c) 1.5 mm/min (d) 3 mm/min

Fig.10 Longitudinal solidifcation microstructures at various withdrawal rates under 0.1 T magnetic field with the divergent bi-crystals placed in a B-to-A pattern
(a) 0.5 mm/min (b) 1 mm/min (c) 1.5 mm/min (d) 3 mm/min

Fig.11 Longitudinal solidification microstructures at various withdrawal rates under 0.7 T magnetic field with the divergent bi-crystals placed in a B-to-A pattern
(a) 0.5 mm/min (b) 1 mm/min (c) 1.5 mm/min (d) 3 mm/min

Fig.12 Low (a1-d1) and high (a2-d2, a3-d3) magnified cross-sectional solidification microstructures near the solid/liquid interface directionally solidified at various withdrawal rates under 0.7 T magnetic field with the divergent bi-crystals placed in a B-to-A pattern
(a1-a3) 0.5 mm/min (b1-b3) 1 mm/min (c1-c3) 1.5 mm/min (d1-d3) 3 mm/min

Fig.13 Primary dendrite arm spacing (λ₁) as a function of withdrawal rate with and without the magnetic field

Fig.14 Schematics showing the competitive growth of divergent bi-crystals with and without weak transverse static magnetic field (ΔZ_A—temperature gradient of grain A, ΔZ_B—temperature gradient of grain B, TEMC—thermoelectric magnetic convection)
(a) without the magnetic field (Walton-Chalmers model)
(b) A-to-B pattern
(c) B-to-A pattern

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