The Effects of Silicon and Niobium Concentration on the Solidification Behavior and Microstructure of Cast Monel Alloys

Cast Monel alloys are used in applications requiring a combination of good mechanical properties and excellent resistance to corrosion. Despite prevalent industrial use, relatively few studies have been conducted to investigate the relationships between composition, solidification behavior, and micr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Metallurgical and materials transactions. A, Physical metallurgy and materials science Physical metallurgy and materials science, 2023-12, Vol.54 (12), p.4716-4730
Main Authors: Farnin, C. J., Coker, E. N., Salinas, P. A., DuPont, J. N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemistry and Materials Science
Composition
Corrosion resistance
Electron probe microanalysis
Eutectic reactions
Industrial applications
Material properties
MATERIALS SCIENCE
Mechanical properties
Metallic Materials
Microstructure
Monel (trademark)
Nanotechnology
Nickel base alloys
Niobium
Original Research Article
Silicides
Silicon
Solidification
Structural Materials
Surfaces and Interfaces
Thin Films
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Summary:Cast Monel alloys are used in applications requiring a combination of good mechanical properties and excellent resistance to corrosion. Despite prevalent industrial use, relatively few studies have been conducted to investigate the relationships between composition, solidification behavior, and microstructure. Given that these alloys are used in the cast and welded conditions, these factors have a significant influence over the material properties. In this work, microstructural characterization, electron probe microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry were used to study how changes in Si and Nb concentrations affected the solidification path and microstructure of Monel alloys. It was found that increasing Nb concentration stabilized higher amounts of MC carbides and suppressed graphite formation during solidification. It was also found that the high nominal concentration and segregation of Si to the liquid led to the formation of Ni 31 Si 12 and other silicides via terminal eutectic reactions at the end of solidification. A pseudo-binary solidification diagram was constructed using experimental data and was applied to predict the mass fraction of solidified eutectic as a function of composition. The modeled microstructures were found to be in good agreement with experimentally measured phase fractions.
ISSN:1073-5623
1543-1940
DOI:10.1007/s11661-023-07193-8