A modeling tool for the precipitation simulations of superalloys during heat treatments

Abstract

The understanding and control of the precipitation of secondary phases during heat treatments is critical for the properties of age-hardening superalloys. A modeling tool has been developed to simulate the complicated precipitations and microstructure evolutions during arbitrary thermal histories. It integrates both thermodynamic and kinetic calculations with available multi-component and multiphase databases. Its major simulation functionalities have been demonstrated by calculating the precipitation kinetics in Alloy 718. The advantages and limitations are also discussed.