Precipitation hardening design for next generation of endurant Ni-base super alloys - Phenix

Important results from the project

The project´s goals were largely achieved. It provided a clearer understanding of the gaps of current computational tools for simulating precipitation and precipitation hardening for material design of Ni-base superalloys. It also gave insights on using LSI (Large-Scale Infrastructure) measurements to study nano-scale precipitates and their evolution in Ni-base superalloys to provide valuable information for model developments. The findings laid the groundwork for further development.

Expected long term effects

The project is expected to significantly advance the development of Ni-base superalloys by combining advanced computational tools with novel measurement techniques. This integration enables more precise alloy design and improved material properties while reducing reliance on trial-and-error testing. In the long run, the project supports faster, more efficient, and sustainable materials development and fosters greater digitalization in alloy design.

Approach and implementation

The project combined modeling and experiments to study precipitation in Ni-base superalloys. Existing models were calibrated with literature data, then used to simulate precipitation and hardening in selected alloys. Heat treatments were performed, followed by LSI measurements using various techniques to observe precipitation evolution. Lab-scale EBSD and TEM analyses complemented the LSI data. Finally, simulations were compared to experiments to identify gaps of the current modelling tools.