Influence of thermal shocks at high temperatures on microstructure and hardness of RENE 41 alloy

Abstract

Rene 41, super alloy nickel base with aging hardening, presents an exceptional strength at high temperatures, find used at temperatures above 871°C. After aging, the microstructure of the alloy is made up of solid solution and precipitates and the mechanical properties show a significant variation with the aging temperature. The researches presented in this paper aims to determine the influence of thermal shocks at 1000 ° C on the alloy microstructure and the hardness. The heat shocks were applied in the surface, with the aid of solar energy, in 3 and 6 cycles of 30s. Samples were characterized, in surface and in section, by hardness measurements, scanning electron microscopy and EDX. The variations in the hardness characteristics were correlated with the structural transformations induced by the thermal shocks applied to the surface.