Influence of hot isostatic pressing temperature on microstructure and tensile properties of a nickel-based superalloy powder

A high strength high γ′ fraction nickel-based superalloy powder RR 1000 has been hot isotatically pressed (HIPed) at different temperatures. Microstructural analysis and assessment of the tensile properties were performed on these samples. It was found that HIP led to the formation of (Hf,Zr)O2 particles on prior particle boundaries (PPBs) which were not present in the as-received powder. It is suggested that the oxides are formed by the diffusion of Hf and Zr from the interior of powder particles to the particle surfaces where oxygen level is usually high. When different HIP temperatures were used, no obvious effect on oxide size and distribution was observed but there was an effect on the microstructure and tensile properties. Thus, HIPing at super-solvus temperatures reduced the density of PPBs over the density observed in samples HIPed at sub-solvus temperatures by making grains within the original powder particles grow beyond the precipitates on PPBs, resulting in larger grains with serrated boundaries. Slow cooling from HIPing temperatures also led to the formation of irregular-shaped γ′. The 0.2% yield strengths at room temperature and at 700 °C were found to decrease with increase of HIP temperature but the high temperature ultimate tensile strengths and elongation increased considerably. Increasing HIPing temperature from sub-solvus to super-solvus temperatures also led to the transition of fracture mode from interparticle debonding to transgranular fracture mode.