Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Motion and remelting of dendrite fragments during directional solidification of a nickel-base superalloy

Journal Article · · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
  2. United Technologies Research Center, East Hartford, CT (United States)

The formation of spurious grains during the directional solidification of a Ni-base superalloy is studied by modeling the movement and remelting of dendrite fragments originating in channels inside the mush. Such channels exist because of thermosolutal convective instabilities during solidification and persist as freckle chains in the solidified material. The fragment model is linked to a phase equilibrium subroutine for multicomponent Ni-base superalloys, as well as to a previously developed solidification and convection code. A parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of initial fragment location and size on the fragment paths and survivability in the melt for one of the channels predicted in a typical directional solidification simulation. It is found that only a small window of initial conditions exists which leads to spurious grain formation. This window corresponds to medium-sized fragments originating near the mouth of the channel. Other fragments either remelt completely or sink into the channel. The need for an accurate fragment generation model is discussed.

Sponsoring Organization:
Advanced Research Projects Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI ID:
522364
Journal Information:
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, Journal Name: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 28; ISSN 1073-5623; ISSN MMTAEB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Modeling of micro- and macrosegregation and freckle formation in single-crystal nickel-base superalloy directional solidification
Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science · OSTI ID:522363

Modeling freckle formation in three dimensions during solidification of multicomponent alloys
Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B: Process Metallurgy and Materials Processing Science · OSTI ID:651077

The breakdown of single-crystal solidification in high refractory nickel-base alloys
Journal Article · Sun Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1996 · Metallurgical Transactions, A · OSTI ID:250734