Neutron Diffraction Measurements of a Thermally Fatigued Single Crystal Superalloy

The thermally fatigued single crystal superalloy DZ125L is investigated by neutron diffraction measurements. The measurements, made using the φ angle oscillating method, provide more detailed and reliable data than those with the φ angle fixed. Diffraction studies show that the influence of thermal fatigue on the lattice parameters of the alloy is very limited. The stress analysis reveals that triaxial elastic hydrostatic stress plays a major role during thermal fatigue. The magnitude of the macrostress increases with the fatigue cycles, with the stress of the γ phase increasing more significantly than that of the γ' phase, and becoming fragile after many cycles. The changes in the microstrain are dependent on the reflection planes. The microstrains at the center of the sample are released by the thermal fatigue in comparison with those at the outlying locations, which has been attributed to the advance of the dislocation slips.