Effect of Al2O3 Coating on Interface Reaction Between Si-Based Ceramic Core and Ni-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00432

Acta Metall Sin

2025, Vol. 61

Issue (7): 1093-1108 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00432

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Effect of Al₂O₃ Coating on Interface Reaction Between Si-Based Ceramic Core and Ni-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy

HE Jiabao¹^,², WANG Liang¹, ZHANG Chaowei¹, ZOU Mingke¹, MENG Jie¹(

), WANG Xinguang¹, JIANG Sumeng¹, ZHOU Yizhou¹(

), SUN Xiaofeng¹

1 Shi -changxu Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Shenyang 110016, China

Cite this article:

HE Jiabao, WANG Liang, ZHANG Chaowei, ZOU Mingke, MENG Jie, WANG Xinguang, JIANG Sumeng, ZHOU Yizhou, SUN Xiaofeng. Effect of Al₂O₃ Coating on Interface Reaction Between Si-Based Ceramic Core and Ni-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy. Acta Metall Sin, 2025, 61(7): 1093-1108.

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Abstract

Ni-based single-crystal superalloys weaken or even eliminate the influence of weak grain boundaries at high temperatures and contain $≥$ 60% (volume fraction) of L1₂-type coherent ordering γ'- Ni₃(Al, Ti) precipitation strengthening phase. These superalloys exhibit excellent properties at high temperatures such as, high resistance to oxidation, creep, and fatigue resistance, making them the preferred materials for manufacturing advanced aviation engine turbine blades. The inner cavity structure of engine turbine blades has become complex with the rapid development of the engine manufacturing industry, making investment casting technology as a key technology in blade production. Si-based ceramics are selected as core materials owing to their low thermal expansion coefficient, good dimensional stability, and easy solubility. However, during pouring, active elements such as Hf, Al, and Cr, in the superalloy liquid, undergo thermo-physicochemical and thermomechanical infiltration with the cores when they come in contact with Si-based ceramic cores for extended period at high temperatures. This results in interface reactions and sand formation on the casting surface, thereby reducing the quality of the blade's inner surface and increasing subsequent processes such as eliminating the reaction layer through certain chemical methods. To suppress the interface reaction between the superalloy liquid and Si-based ceramic cores during blade casting and improve the surface quality of the blade inner cavity, the effect of Al₂O₃ coating on the surface of Si-based ceramic cores were investigated using the multi-arc ion plating method. Furthermore, the effect of Al₂O₃ coating on the interface reaction and wettability between Si-based ceramic cores and the superalloy were explored using the in situ droplet method. The surface quality, morphology, element distribution, and reaction products of the interface reaction were analyzed via optical profilometry, SEM, and XRD, respectively. It has been found Al₂O₃ and silicides are generated in few areas at the bottom of the superalloy after high-temperature contact between the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic cores and superalloy melt. However, a continuous and dense Al₂O₃ reaction layer is formed at the bottom of the superalloy after contact between the unmodified Si-based ceramic cores and superalloy melt. The wetting angles of the superalloy melt on the Al₂O₃-coated and unmodified Si-based ceramic cores are 89.1° and 100.4°, respectively, indicating that the wettability is substantially improved by the Al₂O₃ coating. Results indicate that applying Al₂O₃ coating on Si-based ceramic cores can effectively suppress the interface reaction between Ni-based single-crystal superalloy and Si-based ceramic cores and improve the filling ability of the superalloy liquid during casting.

Key words: Al₂O₃ coating Si-based ceramic core Ni-based single-crystal superalloy interface reaction wettability

Received: 30 October 2023

ZTFLH:

TG245

Fund: National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFA0700704);National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFA0705300);Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project (Provincial Yuan Provincial School Cooperation Project)(2022YFSY0016);Excellent Youth Foundation of Liaoning Province(2021-YQ-02)

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	Articles by authors
	HE Jiabao
	WANG Liang
	ZHANG Chaowei
	ZOU Mingke
	MENG Jie
	WANG Xinguang
	JIANG Sumeng
	ZHOU Yizhou
	SUN Xiaofeng

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00432 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2025/V61/I7/1093

Fig.1 Photos of Ni-based single-crystal superalloys reacted with the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core (a) and unmodified Si-based ceramic core (b); and schematic showing measurement method of wetting angle (θ) (d—diameter of the alloy drop bottom, h—height of the drop) (c)

Fig.2 Surface morphologies (a, b) and EDS elemental analyses of Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core
(a) overall morphology
(b) microstructure of the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core (c-f) EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.2b

Fig.3 XRD spectrum of the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core surface

Fig.4 Surface roughness of the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core (Sa—arithmetical mean height, Sq—root mean square height, Sz—maximum height)

Fig.5 Bottom roughness of the superalloy after reaction with the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core

Fig.6 Bottom SEM images (a-c) and EDS analyses (d-o) of the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy after reaction with the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core
(a) overall morphology
(b) microstructure of the black rectangular area in Fig.6a
(c) microstructure of typical area 2 in Fig.6b (d-o) EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.6b

Table 1 EDS results of points 1-3 in Fig.6b

Fig.7 Microscopic morphologies (a, b) and EDS analyses (c-n) of the longitudinal section of the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy after reaction with the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core
(a) overall morphology of the superalloy longitudinal section
(b) microstructure of the black rectangular area in Fig.7a (c-n) EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.7b

Table 2 EDS results of points 1 and 2 in Fig.7b

Fig.8 Surface morphologies (a, b) and EDS analyses (c-g) of the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core after reaction with Ni-based single-crystal superalloy
(a) overall morphology (I and II—non-contact area and contact area between the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core and the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy melt, respectively)
(b) microstructure of the black rectangular area in Fig.8a (c-g) EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.8b

Table 3 EDS results of points 1 and 2 in Fig.8b

Fig.9 XRD spectra of the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy bottom (a) and the Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core surface (b) after interface reaction

Fig.10 Macroscopic (a) and microscopic (b) surface morphologies and EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.10b (c-e) of unmodified Si-based ceramic core

Fig.11 Surface roughness of the unmodified Si-based ceramic core

Fig.12 Bottom roughness of the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy after reaction with the unmodified Si-based ceramic core

Fig.13 Bottom morphologies (a, b) and EDS analyses (c-f) of the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy after reaction with the unmodified Si-based ceramic core
(a) overall morphology
(b) microstructure of the black rectangular area in Fig.13a (c-f) EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.13a

Fig.14 Microscopic morphologies (a, b) and EDS analyses (c-i) of the longitudinal section of the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy after reaction with the unmodified Si-based ceramic core
(a) overall morphology
(b) microstructure of the black rectangular area in Fig.14a (c-i) EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.14b

Fig.15 Low (a) and high (b) magnified SEM images showing surface morphologies of the unmodified Si-based ceramic core after reaction with the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy and EDS mappings corresponding to Fig.15a (c, d)

Fig.16 XRD spectra of the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy bottom (a) and the unmodified Si-based ceramic core surface (b) after interface reaction

Table 4 Wetting angles of superalloy/different Si-based ceramic core systems

Element (compound)	$H 298 θ$ kJ‧mol^-1	$S 298 θ$ J‧mol^-1	$c p T = A + B × 10 - 3 T + C × 105 T - 2 + D × 10 - 6 T 2$ J‧mol^-1‧K^-1				T
Element (compound)	$H 298 θ$ kJ‧mol^-1	$S 298 θ$ J‧mol^-1					K
			A	B	C	D	K
			A	B	C	D
Hf	0	43.56	23.460	7.623	0	0	298-2013
SiO₂	-908.35	43.40	71.626	1.891	-39.058	0	298-2000
HfO₂	-1113.20	59.36	72.111	9.050	-12.941	0	298-1973
Si	0	18.82	22.824	8.238	-2.063	0	1685-1973
Al	0	28.32	31.748	0	0	0	933-2767
Al₂O₃	-1675.27	50.94	120.516	9.192	-48.367	0	800-2327

Table 5 Thermodynamic parameters used for the calculation^[21]

Fig.17 Schematic of interface reaction between the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy and Al₂O₃-coated Si-based ceramic core

Fig.18 Schematic of interface reaction between the Ni-based single-crystal superalloy and the unmodified Si-based ceramic core

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