Grain boundary microstructure-property relationships in the cast & wrought Ni-based superalloy René 41 with boron and carbon additions

Cast & wrought Ni-based superalloys are required for manufacturing high-performance components in gas turbine engines. Their excellent high-temperature properties and corrosion resistance are brought about by their complex microstructure of a γ-matrix, intra- and intergranular γ' precipitates, carbides, and borides. The most highly-alloyed superalloy grades provide the high-temperature strength required for the design of next generation gas turbine engines but their processability remains challenging due to grain boundary (GB) cracking. A common mitigation approach is the addition of B and C to improve GB cohesion and strength. However, their detailed roles in GB segregation and precipitation and the link to GB properties during processing remains largely unexplored. We provide a systematic study on decorated GBs in the cast & wrought Ni-based superalloy René 41 with B and C additions. Tensile testing reveals that B additions reduce its ductility due to GB cracking but slow down grain growth during heat treatments more effectively, than C additions. GB-M2B, M6C, M23C6, and GB-γ' precipitates decorating GBs are sequentially precipitated. Their structures and compositions are shown to be unaffected by B and C additions. However, significant differences in the interfacial segregation of solutes are revealed. B is captured by GB-M2B and therefore unavailable to improve GB cohesion. C depletion and enrichment of solutes at interphase boundaries are identified as origin for the reduced ductility and thus, GB cracking. The findings are summarized as microstructural model and advance the detailed understanding of the processing – microstructure – properties relationships of cast & wrought Ni-based superalloys.