Elemental Mapping at Grain Boundaries in Alloy X-750 by EFTEM

Abstract

Alloy X-750 is a γ -strengthened, nickel-base alloy used in demanding high-temperature applications. The HTH commercial heat treatment condition provides excellent strength and good corrosion resistance. However, the resultant precipitate structure is complex with fine (˜20 nm) intragranular γ' phase and copious intergranular precipitation of at least four phases (γ', M23C6, M23B6, and TiN). The intergranular precipitation causes localized grain boundary migration and results in a convoluted grain boundary structure. Such complex grain boundary microstructures increase the difficulty of phase identification and interfacial composition measurements by traditional analytical electron microscopy methods. Elemental mapping by EFTEM is a useful additional or alternative technique for characterizing such structures. A Gatan Imaging Filter (GIF) on a Philips CM30 (LaB6) was used in the current investigation. Experimental details have been summarized elsewhere.Elemental maps of Cr, Ti, and Ni (net L23 intensities) are presented in Fig. la-c for a typical grain boundary region of a HTH heat treated specimen.