Investigation of Oxide Bifilms in Investment Cast Superalloy IN100: Part I. Mechanical Properties

Oxide bifilms are a proposed casting inclusion reported to have been observed in vacuum investment cast polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys. Ongoing research seeks to determine if current superalloy casting practices can result in the formation of oxide bifilms, and subsequently if it is possible to observe and characterize this phenomenon. The effects of casting atmosphere, turbulence, filtering, hot isostatic pressing (HIP), and heat treatment have been investigated to identify the critical parameters that have been reported to result in bifilm formation in Ni-based superalloys. Room temperature tensile and room temperature fatigue testing are used to identify the effects of each casting and processing parameter on casting defect formation and the resultant effects on mechanical properties. Characterization of mechanical test specimens seeks to identify the role of casting defects and microstructural features on the fracture mechanisms of the specimen conditions analyzed, and in particular, evidence of bifilm formation and the chemical composition(s) of oxide bifilms. Analyzed tensile and fatigue data did not indicate an influence of bifilms on the tensile or fatigue strength of vacuum processed IN100. Bifilms were not observed, via the characterization methods utilized, to be an active mechanism in tensile or fatigue fracture.