Analyses of As-Cast Microstructure and Cracking Sensitivity of GH4151 Wrought Superalloy with High γ′ Phase Content

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00028

Acta Metall Sin

2025, Vol. 61

Issue (11): 1653-1663 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00028

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Analyses of As-Cast Microstructure and Cracking Sensitivity of GH4151 Wrought Superalloy with High γ′ Phase Content

ZHONG Jia, WANG Fa, JIANG He, YAO Zhihao, DONG Jianxin(

)

School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

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ZHONG Jia, WANG Fa, JIANG He, YAO Zhihao, DONG Jianxin. Analyses of As-Cast Microstructure and Cracking Sensitivity of GH4151 Wrought Superalloy with High γ′ Phase Content. Acta Metall Sin, 2025, 61(11): 1653-1663.

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Abstract

Nickel-based superalloys, known for their excellent high-temperature mechanical characteristics and structural stability, are extensively utilized in critical high-temperature components of gas turbine engines, including combustion chambers, turbine blades, and turbine disks. With the development of aeronautical technology, the required maximum operating temperature of turbine disks is 800 ^oC and above. To meet such high-temperature application requirements, China designed GH4151, a new type of nickel-based wrought superalloy that contains precipitation strengthening elements such as Al, Nb, and Ti along with solid solution strengthening elements such as Cr, Co, Mo, and W. The weight ratio of the solid solution strengthening elements was 34% and that of the precipitation strengthening elements was 10%. Due to the high alloying degree of GH4151 wrought superalloy, its smelting process often results in solute distribution and element segregation between liquid and solid phases, which can lead to the precipitation of numerous harmful phases during solidification, causing cracks in the ingot. Subsequent processing becomes impossible once cracks appear. To study the cast microstructure complexity and its correlation with ingot cracking, the elemental segregation, cast microstructure, phase precipitation behavior, and cracking characteristics of GH4151 wrought superalloy were analyzed by OM, SEM, DSC, extraction phase analysis, XRD, hot compression simulation, and thermodynamic calculations. The results indicated that Nb segregation in GH4151 ingots was severe, with a segregation coefficient as high as 2.3. Elemental segregation in the alloy led to the precipitation of various phases, including massive γ′ phases, Laves phases, MC carbides, γ/γ′ eutectic phases, and η phases. The γ′ phase, Laves phase, and MC carbide structures are Ni_2.42Co_0.40Cr_0.10Mo_0.04W_0.03Ti_0.26Al_0.59Nb_0.12V_0.03, (Co_0.241Cr_0.205Ni_0.554)₂(Nb_0.309Mo_0.242Ti_0.346W_0.102), and (Ti_0.333Nb_0.521Mo_0.100W_0.028V_0.019)C, respectively. Due to elemental segregation, numerous precipitated phases with coarse sizes and irregular morphologies formed during solidification. The GH4151 ingot was highly susceptible to cracking, with potential crack formation at the interface of complex precipitates between dendrites, namely Laves phases, γ/γ′ eutectic phases, MC carbides, η phases, and the matrix. A high γ′ phase content of 41.177% in GH4151 reduced its thermal conductivity and increased the likelihood of thermal stress accumulation during cooling, ultimately leading to increased cracking sensitivity in the alloy ingot due to a combination of solidification segregation and thermal stress accumulation.

Key words: GH4151 wrought superalloy as-cast microstructure element segregation crack analysis

Received: 29 January 2024

ZTFLH:

TG115.23

Fund: National Science and Technology Major Projects(J2019-VI-0021-0137)

Corresponding Authors: DONG Jianxin, professor, Tel: (010)62332884, E-mail: jxdong@ustb.edu.cn

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	ZHONG Jia
	WANG Fa
	JIANG He
	YAO Zhihao
	DONG Jianxin

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00028 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2025/V61/I11/1653

Fig.1 OM images showing the dendritic morphologies in different regions of GH4151 alloy consumable ingot with a diameter of 410 mm
(a) edge region
(b) 1/2 radius region
(c) center region

Table 1 Dendrite arm spacings and element segregation coefficients in different regions of GH4151 alloy consumable ingot

Fig.2 Thermodynamic calculation results of GH4151 alloy based on JMatPro software
(a) element segregation behavior
(b) equilibrium phase diagram (Inset shows the full view of phase diagram)

Fig.3 SEM images of as-cast microstructure of GH4151 alloy consumable ingot with a diameter of 410 mm
(a) Laves phase and η phase
(b) petal shaped γ/γ′ eutectic phase
(c) MC carbides

Table 2 Chemical compositions of interdendritic precipitates in as-cast GH4151 alloy

Fig.4 SEM images of γ′ phase in different regions of GH4151 alloy consumable ingot with a diameter of 410 mm
(a) interdendritic (b) dendrite core

Fig.5 XRD spectra of precipitated phase powders extracted from GH4151 alloy
(a) γ' phase (b) MC carbides, Laves phase, and η phase

Table 3 Chemical compsitions and fractions of phases in GH4151 alloy consumable ingot with a diameter of 410 mm

Fig.6 Heating and cooling DSC curves of GH4151 alloy at the rate of 10 ^oC/min

Fig.7 Solidification path of GH4151 alloy calculated based on JMatPro software

Table 4 Phase transition temperatures of GH4151 alloy during solidification

Fig.8 Schematic of solidification process of GH4151 alloy

Fig.9 Macro-morphology of cracked surface (a) and SEM images of different phase interfaces (b-e) of GH4151 alloy consumable ingot with a diameter of 410 mm after isothermal hot compression test at 1120 ^oC with strain rate of 1 s^-1 and deformation of 30% (DRX—dynamic recrystallization)
(b) MC/γ phase interface (c) Laves phase interface
(d) γ/γ′ eutectic phase interface (e) η phase interface

Fig.10 SEM images of the crack zone morphology of GH4151 alloy consumable ingot with a diameter of 410 mm
(a) crack propagation characteristics
(b) MC and η phase interface crackings
(c) Laves phase interface cracking

Fig.11 Curves of thermal conductivity of different alloys with temperature based on JMatPro software

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