Dislocation network formation during creep in Ni-base superalloy GTD-111

The Ni-base superalloy GTD-111 is used as a blading material in the first stage blades of high power gas turbines. The creep-rupture properties of the cast superalloy were studied over a wide range of temperatures and stresses. The observations of dislocation structures during steady-state creep confirmed that the creep mechanism was different in the high and low stress regions. The results showed that in the high stress region, shear mechanisms including stacking fault formation and anti-phase boundary creation were operative and in the low stress region, a by-passing mechanism occurred by either looping or dislocation climb and glide. With increasing exposure time in the high-temperature low-stress region, dislocations formed networks at gamma-gamma' interfaces, as well as inside gamma' particles. The transition in the mode of dislocation -gamma' precipitate interaction from shearing to by-passing was found to depend on creep conditions (stress and temperature) and microstructural characteristic of the alloy. The present paper provides microstructural evidence by means of transmission electron microscopy for a high temperature by-passing mechanism operating in the superalloy GTD-111. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.