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KR-20260066551-A - Nickel based Superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles through metal additive manufacturing

KR20260066551AKR 20260066551 AKR20260066551 AKR 20260066551AKR-20260066551-A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a stackable ceramic particle-reinforced nickel-based superalloy by utilizing a composite powder containing a ceramic reinforcing material to prevent degradation of mechanical properties and increase high-temperature strength after additive manufacturing of the nickel-based superalloy. The nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles by additive manufacturing according to the embodiments of the present invention forms a core-shell structured composite powder by adding a ceramic reinforcing material, such as hafnium carbide (HfC), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride (TiN), boron nitride (h-BN), or titanium diboride ( TiB2 ), to a nickel (Ni)-based alloy. The nickel (Ni)-based alloy contains a high content of at least one element among cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), and chromium (Cr), and is an alloy with improved high-temperature strength by selectively controlling elements such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), and niobium (Nb). The ceramic reinforcing material adjusts the microstructure of the alloy and is uniformly distributed during the additive manufacturing process, thereby providing high reliability and durability even at high temperatures. It is characterized by maintaining and improving stackability by controlling laser absorption, while some elements are dissolved in the matrix to provide a solid solution strengthening effect, and other elements are positioned at the grain boundaries to strengthen the grain boundaries.

Inventors

  • 류호진
  • 정원종

Assignees

  • 한국과학기술원

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20241104

Claims (5)

  1. A core-shell structured composite powder is formed by adding ceramic reinforcing materials such as hafnium carbide (HfC), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride (TiN), boron nitride (h-BN), and titanium diboride ( TiB2 ) to a nickel (Ni)-based alloy, wherein The above nickel (Ni)-based alloy contains a high content of at least one of cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), and chromium (Cr), and is an alloy that improves high-temperature strength by selectively controlling elements such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), and niobium (Nb). The above-mentioned ceramic reinforcing material is a nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles by additive manufacturing, characterized in that it adjusts and uniformly distributes the microstructure of the alloy during the additive manufacturing process to maintain high reliability and durability even at high temperatures, and improves stackability by controlling laser absorption, while some elements are dissolved in the matrix to provide a solid solution strengthening effect and other elements are positioned at the grain boundaries to strengthen the grain boundaries.
  2. In paragraph 1, A nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles by additive manufacturing, characterized in that at least one of the above hafnium carbide (HfC), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride (TiN), boron nitride (h- BN ), and titanium diboride (TiB2) is coated on the surface of Inconel 718 to increase laser absorption rate at high temperatures and improve the uniformity of the microstructure.
  3. In paragraph 1, The above-mentioned Inconel 718 composite with added titanium carbide (TiC) is a nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles by additive manufacturing, characterized by suppressing the formation of the Laves phase by promoting the formation of the (Nb, Ti)C phase, and ensuring dislocation density control and grain structure stability.
  4. In paragraph 1, A nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles by additive manufacturing, characterized in that at least one of the above hafnium carbide (HfC), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride ( TiN ), boron nitride (h-BN), and titanium diboride (TiB2) is coated on the surface of an alloy in which the total of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and copper (Cu) is 70% or more, thereby increasing the laser absorption rate at high temperatures and improving the uniformity of the microstructure.
  5. In paragraph 1, A nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles by additive manufacturing, characterized in that at least one of the above hafnium carbide (HfC), titanium carbide (TiC), titanium nitride (TiN), boron nitride (h-BN), and titanium diboride ( TiB2 ) is coated on the surface of an alloy in which the main component is nickel (Ni) and the alloy contains 15-17 wt% chromium (Cr) and 4.1-5.0 wt% aluminum (Al), thereby increasing the laser absorption rate at high temperatures and improving the uniformity of the microstructure.

Description

Nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles through metal additive manufacturing The present invention relates to a nickel-based superalloy reinforced with a ceramic reinforcing material by additive manufacturing (AM). Specifically, it relates to a technology that uses a composite powder containing a ceramic reinforcing material to form a stable microstructure and minimize cracks and defects, in order to effectively prevent the degradation of mechanical properties that may occur after the additive manufacturing (AM) process and to develop a composite material capable of maintaining excellent strength and durability even at high temperatures. Currently, Additive Manufacturing (AM) opens up possibilities for fabricating new parts, expands various aspects of part design, and reduces the number of parts, thereby shortening installation times in hardware and industrial applications. Research on AM for metallic materials is currently focused primarily on existing alloys. In particular, AM technology offers the potential to precisely fabricate complex rocket engine components by utilizing high-performance heat-resistant alloys. Although Inconel 718 alloy is currently widely used in additive manufacturing, additively manufactured nickel alloys have relatively lower creep ductility compared to forged alloys. For this reason, there is a need to develop superalloys for rocket engines that possess excellent additive manufacturing properties while maintaining high toughness without cracking or defects during the additive manufacturing process. Figure 1 is the result of evaluating the mechanical properties of an Inconel 718-HfC composite manufactured by lamination with L-PDED according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows the results of evaluating the high-temperature mechanical properties of an Inconel 718-HfC composite laminated with L-PDED according to one embodiment of the present invention at 650 degrees. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the microstructure and mechanical properties according to the content of TiC ceramic particles in an Inconel 718-TiC composite in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the effect of TiC ceramic particles on phase formation in an Inconel 718-TiC composite according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the effect of TiC ceramic particles on precipitates in an Inconel 718-TiC composite according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the effect of TiC ceramic particles on precipitates when heat-treated in an Inconel 718-TiC composite according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the effect of TiC ceramic particles on the crystal structure and microstructure of the alloy in an Inconel 718-TiC composite according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the microstructure and compositional analysis results of the alloy containing TiC ceramic particles in an Inconel 718-TiC composite according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the effect of TiC ceramic particles on tensile strength in an Inconel 718-TiC composite according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the strengthening contribution (HT) and high-temperature deformation characteristics in a heat-treated state in an Inconel 718-TiC composite according to another embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The nickel-based superalloy reinforced with ceramic particles according to an embodiment of the present invention is manufactured through an advanced additive manufacturing (AM) process and can be widely utilized, primarily in the aerospace and nuclear industries. In particular, the nickel-based composite material reinforced with ceramic particles according to the present invention exhibits excellent durability and mechanical strength even in extreme high-temperature environments, making it highly useful in fields requiring heat resistance and structural stability, such as engine parts, turbine blades, and core reactor components. For example, the nickel-based composite material reinforced with ceramic particles according to the present invention provides long-term reliability and durability under oxygen-rich high-temperature conditions, thereby ensuring high safety even in predictable operating environments. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), one of these additive manufacturing (AM) processes, is a method that uses a laser beam to selectively melt and layer metal powder. In this process, a precisely controlled laser beam concentrates energy at specific locations to melt the metal powder, thereby forming a fine melt pool. As the melt pool subsequently solidifies, it is layered to f