Effect of Hot Extrusion on the Flow Behaviour of a Nickel-Based P/M Superalloy

Abstract

This research investigated the effect of hot extrusion on the flow behaviour of nickel-based superalloy FGH4096 by hot compression experiments in the temperature range from 1020 to 1110 °C and strain rates ranging from 0.1 to 0.001 s-1. The influence of the hot extrusion on the initial microstructures, work hardening rate, strain rate sensitivity, and activation energy of deformation were discussed. The results show that the extruded microstructure is constituted by the fine dynamic recrystallisation of grains. The true strain-true stress curves show that the as-HIPed and as-HEXed FGH4096 superalloy present double flow stress peaks and discontinuous flow softening. The as-HEXed FGH4096 is easily dynamically softened at high temperatures and high strain rates compared with as-HIPed microstructures. As for the work hardening rate, the as-HEXed FGH4096 exhibits higher θ values than that of as-HIPed. It is beneficial to the homogenous deformation and grain refinement during subsequent turbine disk forging. Comparing to as-HIPed FGH4096, the highest strain rate sensitivity value of as-HEXed is 0.306 at 1110 °C. The isothermal superplastic forging of a P/M turbine disk may be carried out at this temperature. The deformation activation energy value of the as-HIPed FGH4096 is lower which means that dislocation sliding and climbing can be easily initiated in the as-HIPed alloy.