Effects of cobalt on creep rupture properties and dislocation structures in nickel base superalloys

The influences of cobalt (Co) on creep rupture lives and dislocation structures in nickel base superalloys with and without rhenium (Re) are investigated. The creep rupture test conditions were high temperature low stress (1100 °C/150 MPa), intermediate temperature and stress (982 °C, 1010 °C) and low temperature high stress (850 °C/586 MPa). The results show that increasing Co content could enhance the creep rupture lives at low and intermediate temperature, and does not degrade the creep rupture lives of alloys at high temperature. In Re-containing alloys, at high temperature low stress (1100 °C/150 MPa), the effects of Co on the dislocation structures are negligible, while at low temperature high stress (850 °C/586 MPa), stacking faults are generated in alloy with 12% Co, and in alloy with 3% Co and free of Co, gamma prime particles are sheared by dislocation pairs. In Re-free alloys, at intermediate temperature and stress (1010 °C/248 MPa), large quantities of stacking faults appear in alloy without Co, while in alloy having 12% Co, gamma prime particles are sheared by dislocation pairs coupled by anti-phase boundary (APB). The gamma prime sheared by stacking faults or by dislocation pairs coupled by APB depends on the competition of stacking faults energy and APB energy which is affected by temperature and the interaction of Re and Co.