Numerical Analysis of Nucleation and Growth of Stray Grain Formation during Laser Welding Nickel-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy Part I: Morphology and Size of Dendrite Growth

Abstract

The dependency of morphology development and dendrite growth on welding conditions (laser power, welding speed and welding configuration) is numerically analyzed to decrease nucleation and growth of stray grain formation during laser processing aerospace component surface of ternary Ni-Cr-Al single-crystal superalloy. Proper (001)/[100] welding configuration crystallographically initiates three axisymmetrical distributions of microstructure development, i.e. stray grain formation, morphology development and dendrite trunk spacing, alongside the advancing solid/liquid interface of molten pool, whereby metallurgical properties are increased. Unpromising (001)/[110] welding configuration tends to crystallographically possesses unaxisymmetrical microstructure development to favor substantial crack-vulnerable dendrite size and morphology. Epitaxial [001] columnar dendrite growth region is favored for single-crystal dendrite growth, while vulnerable [100] equiaxed dendrite growth region is more susceptible to solidification cracking. The lower heat input is used, the smaller stray grain formation, negligible columnar/equiaxed transition (CET) and finer dendrite trunk spacing are consistently promoted by narrower constitutional undercooling ahead of solid/liquid interface to improve crack-resistant microstructure development and weld integrity. When comparing between [100] dendrite growth region on the right side and [010] dendrite growth region on the left side, (001)/[110] welding configuration spontaneously engenders severer stray grain formation, insidious columnar/equiaxed transition and coarser dendrite trunk spacing on the right side to deteriorate microstructure development with restriction of the same heat input on both sides of weld pool. The mechanism of asymmetrical solidification cracking as result of crystallography-induced microstructure degradation is therefore proposed. The theoretical predictions of asymmetrical solidification cracking susceptibility are comparable with experiments.