Evolution of microstructure and properties of a novel Ni-based superalloy during stress relief annealing

We discussed the decrease in residual stress, precipitation evolution, and mechanical properties of GH4151 alloy in different annealing temperatures, which were studied by the scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The findings reveal that annealing processing has a significant impact on diminishing residual stresses. As the annealing temperature rose from 950 to 1150°C, the majority of the residual stresses were relieved from 60.1 MPa down to 10.9 MPa. Moreover, the stress relaxation mechanism transitioned from being mainly controlled by dislocation slip to a combination of dislocation slip and grain boundary migration. Meanwhile, the annealing treatment promotes the decomposition of the Laves, accompanied by the precipitation of μ-(Mo₆Co₇) starting at 950°C and reaching a maximum value at 1050°C. The tensile strength and plasticity of the annealing alloy at 1150°C reached the maximum (1394 MPa, 56.1%) which was 131%, 200% fold than those of the as-cast alloy (1060 MPa, 26.6%), but the oxidation process in the alloy was accelerated at 1150°C. The enhancement in durability and flexibility is primarily due to the dissolution of the brittle phase, along with the shape and dispersal of the γ′ phase.