Microstructure evolution of high-temperature deformation behavior of nickel based alloys for advanced ultra-supercritical applications

The microstructure evolution of nickel based alloy used in advanced ultra-supercritical power plants was studied in the strain range of 0.22-0.91 at 1000-1100 degrees C/0.01 s(-1) by using the electron backscattered diffraction technique. The interaction of the dislocation with the Sigma 3 twin boundary causes the Sigma 3 twin boundary to deviate from its specific misorientation. The Sigma 3 twin boundary is stripped of its signature by the interaction between the dislocation and the Sigma 3 within the deformed grain. In the process of recrystallization, the Sigma 3 twin boundaries are affected by both recrystallization fraction and the size of recrystallization grain. Three recrystallization mechanisms, including DDRX, CDRX and TDRX, play their role in the deformation of the alloy. Leading to the recrystallized grains with high misorientation, CDRX tends to grow and promote twin nucleation, and the mechanism of CDRX becomes less significant with the increase of deformation temperature. Due to deformation, the orientation of the grain shifts to <101> direction. At 1000 degrees C and 1050 degrees C, the recrystallization texture inherits the deformation texture due to the effect of CDRX and the slow diffusion of the recrystallization process, which causes the recrystallization texture to show a sharp <101> fiber texture. At 1100 degrees C, the enhancement of the DDRX mechanism and the high diffusivity of the recrystallization process lead to the randomization of the texture, and the oriented growth of recrystallized grains at 1100 degrees C/0.91 enhances the <001> texture. In addition, both recrystallization and twinning are contributory to the randomization of texture.