Effect of Long-Term Thermal Exposures on Tensile Behaviors of K416B Nickel-Based Superalloy

The effect of long-term thermal exposure on the tensile behavior of a high W content nickel-based superalloy K416B was investigated. The microstructure and the deformation characteristics were observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and the phase transformation of the alloy during long-term thermal exposure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction patterns and differential thermal analysis. Results showed that after thermal exposure at 1000 °C, the MC carbides in the K416B alloy decomposed into M₆C. During tensile deformation, dislocations slipping in γ matrix crossed over the M₆C by Orowan bowing mechanism. With the increase of thermal exposure time, the secondary M₆C reduced greatly the yield strength of the alloy at room temperature. Meanwhile, the continuous distribution of the secondary M₆C with great brittleness in the grain boundary could become the main source of crack, which might change the fracture characteristic of the alloy from trans-granular to intergranular.