Intermetallic phase formation during brazing of a nickel alloy using a Ni–Cr–Si–Fe–B quinary filler alloy

Fundamental understanding of the intermetallic phase formation is the key for enhancing the robustness and reliability of the brazed joints. The paper addresses the phase transformations during brazing of the Hastelloy X nickel-base superalloy using the quinary Ni–13Cr–4.5Si–4.2Fe–2.8B (wt-%) braze alloy. The mechanisms of intermetallic formation via solidification and solid-state precipitation are discussed. The athermal solidification zone (ASZ) is featured by the formation of brittle and hard borides and boro-silicides that are formed via eutectic reactions. However, in contrast to other commercial B-bearing Ni-based filler alloys, it was identified that the presence of a high-volume fraction of eutectic gamma solid solution between boride phases within the joint centreline can alleviate the deleterious effect of the intermetallic phases on the joint toughness.