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Title: An atom probe study of grain boundary and matrix chemistry in microalloyed NiAl

Journal Article · · Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States)
;  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

The atom probe field ion microscope (APFIM) has been used to perform a quantitative study of the grain boundary and matrix chemistry in NiAl microalloyed with either boron, carbon or beryllium. Boron was observed to segregate to grain boundaries whereas carbon and beryllium did not. Atom probe measurements of the matrix chemistry revealed severe depletion of the solute in the boron- and carbon-doped alloys. Field ion imaging, atom probe analyses and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the matrix revealed ultrafine MB[sub 2]- and MC-type precipitates ranging in size between 2 and 20 nm in diameter in the boron- and carbon-doped NiAl. The number densities of these precipitates were estimated by atom probe analyses to range between 1 [times] 10[sup 20] m[sup [minus]3] and 1 [times] 10[sup 23] m[sup [minus]3] for precipitates of 20 and 2 nm diameter, respectively. Atom probe analyses of the matrix in beryllium-doped NiAl revealed that almost all the beryllium was in solid solution. This was consistent with the fact that ultrafine beryllide precipitates were not detected in the atom probe. The enormous increase in yield stress in the boron- and carbon-doped alloys is predominantly due to a precipitation hardening effect. The relatively small increase in yield stress in beryllium-doped NiAl is due to a weak substitutional solid solution hardening effect.

DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5158596
Journal Information:
Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States), Vol. 42:5; ISSN 0956-7151
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English