Ni/boride interfaces and environmental embrittlement in Ni-based superalloys: A first-principles study

Motivated by the vital role played by boride precipitates in Ni-based superalloys in improving mechanical properties such as creep rupture strength, fatigue crack growth rates and improved resistance towards environmental embrittlement [1], we estimate fracture strength of Ni/boride interfaces through determination of their work of separation using first-principles simulations. We find that the fracture strength of Ni/boride interfaces is higher than that of other commonly occurring interfaces in Ni-alloys, such as Ni Σ-5 grain boundaries and coherent Ni/Ni3Al interfaces, and is less susceptible to oxygen-induced embrittlement. Our calculations show how the presence of Mo in Ni/M5B3 (M = Cr, Mo) interfaces leads to additional reduction in oxygen-induced embrittlement. Through Electron-Localization-Function based analyses, we identify the electronic origins of effects of alloying elements on fracture strengths of these interfaces and observe that chemical interactions stemming from electronegativity differences between different atomic species are responsible for the trends in calculated strengths. Our findings should be useful towards designing Ni-based alloys with higher interfacial strengths and reduced oxygen-induced embrittlement.

► Fracture strengths of Ni/boride interfaces through first-principles calculations.
► Fracture strengths of Ni/boride interfaces are higher than Ni/Ni3Al and NiΣ5 grain boundaries.
► Ni/boride interfaces have higher resistance to O-embrittlement than Ni/Ni3Al and NiΣ5 grain boundaries.
► CrMo-borides are more effective than Cr-borides in resisting O-embrittlement.
► Electronegativity differences between alloying elements correlate with fracture strengths.