Precipitate hardening and aging in Ni-rich Ni-Re alloys

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Stefan Müller (†)
• Subject Area: Mechanical Properties of Metallic Materials and their Microstructural Origins
• Term: from 2008 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 84702733

The successful determination of the ground-state properties in Ni-rich Ni-W and Ni-Re alloys (first period) via ab-initio methods and cluster expansion has lead to some surprising structural results: We predict the existence of a possible precipitate phase in Ni-Re. Recently, there are some hints from experimental studies that such a phase may exist, indeed. Within one year, we plan to describe the precipitation and aging of this unknown phase in collaboration with the groups of Prof. Reed (Oxford, UK) and Dr. Motura (Birmingham, UK), so that a quantitative comparison with experimental data becomes possible. The existence of a precipitate phase in Ni-Re would be of tremendous importance for our understanding of the so-called Re-effect, i.e. the hardening of technologically relevant Ni-based superalloys by adding Re to the materials.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants