Anisotropic Tensile Properties of Ni-Based Single-Crystal Superalloys: A Phase-Field-Informed Crystal-Plasticity Finite-Element Investigation

Ni-based single-crystal superalloysNickel-based single-crystal superalloy, mostly used in turbine bladeTurbine blades applications, are inherently anisotropic and usually cast in the \(\langle 001\rangle \) direction. Any slight misorientationsMisorientation result in anomalies in the microstructural evolutionMicrostructural evolution, thereby, causing variation in the mechanical response. As the stability of the microstructureMicrostructure dictates the structural integrity of the blade, it is essential to understand the microstructural state as a function of the crystallographic orientation. Therefore, to predict the microstructural evolutionMicrostructural evolution of single-crystal superalloysSingle-crystal superalloys at any given orientation on the standard stereographic triangle, a crystallographic-sensitive phase-field model was developed. The phase-field simulations for the perfect \(\left[001\right]\) , \(\left[011\right]\) , and \(\left[111\right]\) orientations agreed well with the experimental characterizations. For the first time, a model also predicts the microstructuresMicrostructure for misorientationsMisorientation (10°) away from the main crystallographic directions. Finally, for a quantitative assessment of the macroscale performance of various orientations, the 3D phase-field microstructuresMicrostructure were employed to carry out crystal-plasticity finite-element (CPFE) micromechanical simulations for strain-controlled monotonic tensile tests at 1050 °C.