Investigation of Elastic Properties of the Single-Crystal Nickel-Base Superalloy CMSX-4 in the Temperature Interval between Room Temperature and 1300 °C

Abstract

The elastic properties of the single-crystal nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4 used as a blade material in gas turbines were investigated by the sonic resonance method in the temperature interval between room temperature and 1300 °C. Elastic constants at such high temperatures are needed to model the mechanical behavior of blade material during manufacturing (hot isostatic pressing) as well as during technical accidents which may happen in service (overheating). High reliability of the results was achieved using specimens of different crystallographic orientations, exciting various vibration modes as well as precise measurement of the material density and thermal expansion required for modeling the resonance frequencies by finite element method. Combining the results measured in this work and literature data the elastic constants of the γ- and γ′-phases were predicted. This prediction was supported by measurement of the temperature dependence of the γ′-fraction. All data obtained in this work are given in numerical or analytical forms and can be easily used for different scientific and engineering calculations.