Influence of Phosphorus Addition on the Stress Rupture Properties of Direct Aged IN706 Superalloy

This study investigated the influence of phosphorus (P) addition on the stress rupture properties of direct aged IN706 superalloy. The results showed that P slightly improved the stress rupture life of the superalloy when added in the range between 0.002% and 0.008%; however, it significantly reduced the stress rupture life when added in the range between 0.013% and 0.017%. Microstructure characterization indicated that the precipitation of gamma ', gamma ", and eta phases was not significantly affected by the addition of P. Phosphides precipitated in the alloy containing 0.017% P after aging at 980 degrees C for 10 min. Compared to a similar study previously made on IN706 superalloy, it was found that the optimum P concentration in the as-solutioned state for improving the stress rupture properties was not definite. Furthermore, the relationship between the amount of P segregated at the grain boundary and the role of P on the stress rupture properties was discussed.