Enhanced thermal stability and ductility in a nanostructured Ni-based alloy

In this investigation we address the question of whether it is possible to simultaneously enhance the ductility and thermal stability of nanostructured (NS) Ni-based alloy by using an approach that involves the introduction of nano-precipitates. To address this question, both NS and ultra-fine grained Ni-based alloys with nanoscale gamma'-precipitates were obtained via heat treatment of single-phase NS Ni-based alloy (similar to 50 nm). Our results show that the thermally-stable gamma'-precipitates contribute to both ductility and a remarkably high thermal stability close to 700 degrees C (0.62 T-m). The underlying mechanisms that are believed to be responsible for this behavior are discussed. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc.