Characteristics of the Evolution of Carbide Morphology in the Haynes® 230® Alloy as a Result of High Temperature Annealing

Abstract

In this work, results of an investigation of the microstructure evolution in Haynes® 230® alloy are presented. The morphological and chemical compositions of the chosen microstructure’s constituents, such as the primary and secondary carbides, were analyzed based on tests in the temperature range 700–800 °C for 1000–3000 h. The prediction of phase evolution within the microstructure was proposed based on the analysis of mutual replacement of carbide-forming elements at the carbide/matrix interface. Based on the results, some complementary markers were considered to describe Haynes® 230® microstructure evolution. Qualitative markers, i.e., defined morphological features, were related to the shape and distribution of microstructure constituents. The study also used quantitative markers related to the local chemical compositions of carbide particles, determined as the ratio of the concentrations of carbide-forming elements Crc/Wc, Crc/CrM and Wc/WM. Microstructure maps created on the basis of these complementary markers for the successive annealing stages reflected the course of its morphological evolution.