Non-Destructive Evaluation of Creep Damage of Ni-Based Superalloy Using A Scanning Blue Laser Microscope

Abstract

In order to assure the reliability of advanced gas turbine systems, it is very important to evaluate the damage of high temperature materials such as Ni-based superalloys under creep and fatigue conditions quantitatively. The refractive index of the gamma-prime phase is found to be smaller than that of the gamma phase in the Ni-based superalloy, when the wavelength of an irradiated laser beam is shorter than 500 nm. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate the creep damage of this material quantitatively and non-destructively by observing the change of the micro texture in a grain (rafting) using a scanning laser microscope.