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VDM Alloy 780 is a new polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy developed for aeronautical applications. In most of the targeted applications, grain size after forging must be precisely controlled to meet the targeted mechanical properties and in-service life requirements. Grain size in forgings is the direct consequence of the recrystallization and grain growth kinetics which are addressed in this paper at high temperatures, above the solvus temperature of γ′ and η/δ phases. The dynamic and post-dynamic recrystallization kinetics as well as the grain growth kinetics of VDM Alloy 780 are detailed over a range of thermomechanical conditions. Dynamic recrystallization appears to be limited, with only 30 pct recrystallized at quite high strain of 1.7 applied at 1050 °C and 0.01 s−1 for instance, but this is compensated by fast post-dynamic evolution. Within the investigated thermomechanical range, recrystallization is completed with 5 minutes of post-deformation hold in VDM Alloy 780 independent of the prior strain, strain rate and dynamic recrystallization fraction. For a strain as low as 0.08, an isothermal annealing of 30 minutes at 1050 °C generates a homogenous and fully recrystallized microstructure. Capillarity driven grain growth following recrystallization is also relatively slow, for instance an exposure at 1050 °C (50 °C above the solvus temperature) for 2 hours results in an increase in average grain size from 20 to 70 μm. This opens the possibility to fine tune the grain sizes by subsequent heat treatments within a time scale that is compatible with industrial conditions. The high cobalt content (25 pct) is suspected to play a role in the control of microstructure evolution kinetics. It is noteworthy that VDM Alloy 780 is shown here to not undergo the heterogeneous grain growth phenomenon reported in low strain regions for other nickel-based superalloys, which is also an asset for applications requiring strict control of grain sizes and grain size distributions.

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Ni-based superalloys are indispensable for applications in demanding environments, such as the heavily stressed rotating discs in the hot sections of modern gas turbines or jet engines. In this paper, the microstructure evolution during hot deformation to mimic the forging process was investigated in the polycrystalline VDM® Alloy 780 viain situ X-ray diffraction at temperatures of 950, 1000, and 1050 °C. For the tested temperatures, the hot forming led to subgrain formation, the built-up of a texture by rotation of the matrix grains into preferred orientations, and dynamic recrystallization. The influence of the deformation was analyzed depending on the direction of the lattice plane normals to the load direction, for the first five γ-reflections in the diffraction pattern. During uniaxial compressive deformation intensity, maxima develop in the loading direction solely for the γ-(220) reflections, while intensity minima develop for the other reflections which correspond to the formation of a <110> fiber texture. In the transverse direction, all γ-reflections except the (220) have an increased intensity at the maximum specimen strain of 20 pct. Directly after the hot forming, three different cooling rates of 10, 100, and 1000 °C/min and their influence on the microstructure were investigated. The fast and medium cooling rates lead to low recrystallized fractions and a largely preserved deformation texture, whereas the low cooling rate leads to a high recrystallized fraction and a slight remaining texture. Additionally, the diffraction data are complemented by electron microscopy measurements.

VDM® Alloy 780 is a newly developed polycrystalline Ni-base superalloy with high contents of Co, Cr, and Al intended for operating temperatures up to 750 °C. The alloy is precipitation strengthened by the γ′ phase, which is analyzed by atom probe tomography. Additionally, δ and η phases are utilized for grain boundary pinning. It is shown that the δ and η phases precipitate either plate like or in a fine lamellar structure inside each other. VDM® Alloy 780 shows superior oxidation resistance in comparison with Udimet 720Li and A718Plus, as seen by a lower mass gain and thinner oxide layers at 800 °C and 900 °C. This superior behavior is analyzed in detail by TEM and STEM investigations of the oxide scales from which it is concluded that the Al/Ti ratio in these alloys plays an important role on the oxidation behavior.