Influence of Withdrawal Rate on As-Cast Microstructure and Stress-Rupture Life of Directionally Solidified Rene80 Superalloy

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of withdrawal rate on the dendrite microstructure and its formation mechanism, the porosity, and the interaction between them in Rene 80 superalloy. So, Rene 80 Ni-base superalloy was directionally solidified on a laboratory scale using the Bridgman method. The cylindrical rods were grown at withdrawal rates of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm.min-1. Dendritic structure and solidification microporosities were evaluated in transverse and longitude sections. The results showed that when the withdrawal rate was increased, the primary and secondary dendritic arm spacing decreased. With an increasing withdrawal rate, which causes to decrease in the dendritic arms spacing, the volume fraction of inter-dendritic gamma prime was first decreased until the rate of 6 mm.min-1, and after that, its volume fraction increased. This structure results from peritectic and eutectic transformations with checkerboard-like and fan-like morphology, respectively. Moreover, the volume fraction of microporosities was minimal at the rate of 6 mm.min-1, while their average size decreased from 13.2 to 8.7 μm. The specimens were given a two-stage heat treatment followed by a stress rupture test at 191 MPa and 980˚C. It was shown that at R=6 mm.min-1, directionally solidified rods with a less solidification microporosity and well-orientated dendritic structure give higher rupture life of 25.43 hrs.