Characterization of Strain Accommodation at Grain Boundaries of Nickel-based Superalloys

Abstract

Elevated temperature in-situ experiments, local crystallographic mapping and digital image correlation techniques have been used to gain insight into strain localization near grain boundaries in polycrystalline René-104. Samples were heat treated to create either smooth (standard) or serrated grain boundaries. Deformation experiments concluded that strain tended to localize at triple points and special boundaries in the standard microstructure, while strain had a less-pronounced correlation in the serrated microstructure. Both materials exhibited grain boundary sliding (GBS), but the standard microstructure proved to be more susceptible. Site-specific extraction of TEM foils indicated that boundaries that exhibited strain localization experienced activation of multiple slip systems, while boundaries showing GBS showed activation of only a single slip system. Based on m′ analysis, slip transmission was expected to be difficult in boundaries that exhibited strain localization while boundaries that showed sliding allowed for easy slip transmission. A volume containing a boundary that exhibited GBS was analyzed to assess boundary surface topography and indicated that the boundary was macroscopically planer with local deviations that were on the order of the secondary γ′ size.