Effects of Carbon Content, Annealing Condition and Internal Defects on the nucleation, growth and coarsening of P-type Carbides in High Niobium Containing TiAl Alloys

Abstract

The nucleation, growth and coarsening of carbides is investigated in high niobium containing TiAl alloys by diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Higher carbon content increases the dissolution temperature of carbides. The solubility of carbon is much higher in a γ/α2-phase alloy than in the γ phase alone. Hereby no significant influence of Nb on carbon solubility is found. Crystallographic defects as grain boundaries and dislocations promote carbide nucleation which results in a carbide precipitation sequence starting first at grain boundaries, then at dislocations and only later in the γ matrix away from crystallographic defects. The consumption of carbon by grain boundary carbides or neighboring α2 grains also generates a precipitate free zone in γ grains near the grain boundary.