Numerical Analysis of Solidification Behavior during Laser Welding Nickel-based Single-crystal Superalloy Part III: Auspicious Control of Dendrite Tip Undercooling
Authors: Gao Zhiguo 
Published: November 2021

Location-dependent dendrite tip undercooling is numerically elucidated to predict crystallography-assisted resistance to centerline grain boundary formation and morphology transition of stray grain formation ahead of dendrite tip in the ternary Nickel-Chromium-Aluminum molten pool during course of nonequilibrium solidification for explanation arduous solidification behavior control of microstructure melioration. Heat input is not so salient as welding configuration for auspicious solidification behavior and beneficial microstructure development. Advantageous symmetry of welding configuration efficiently lessens dendrite tip undercooling for prevalent dendrite morphology stability of planar interface with alleviation of columnar/equiaxed transition (CET) phenomenon. The bimodal distribution of undercooling ahead of dendrite tip is symmetrically dominant for (001)/[100] growth crystallography with capability of increasing morphology of interface kinetics for epitaxial growth and guarantees single-crystal potential. Alternatively, the distribution of undercooling ahead of dendrite tip is asymmetrically prevalent for (001)/[110] growth crystallography with inefficiency of nonhomologous solidification behavior for discontinuous intersection of solidification interface. Undercooling ahead of dendrite tip inside [010] growth region is not so wide as inside [100] growth region, where thermometallurgically initiates unstable solidification interface and inferior solidification behavior, with unfavorable crystallography in the case of asymmetrical (001)/[110] welding configuration. The smaller heat input is applied, the narrower undercooling ahead of dendrite tip is acquired to significantly mitigate microstructure anomalies with favorable solidification conditions, meliorate metallurgical properties and potentially improve weldability with viability of epitaxial columnar morphology and vice versa. Optimum heat input, especially low laser power and high welding speed together, is a viable and robust way to limit plethora of undercooling and easily decrease solidification behavior anomalies. When low laser power or rapid welding speed is chosen, low heat input not only lessens [100] dendrite growth region, where is spontaneously vulnerable to columnar/equiaxed transition, as ramification of prominent dendrite tip undercooling, but also metallurgically ameliorates [001] dendrite growth region, where morphologically aids epitaxial growth and activates stable planar interface, with achievable diminution of dendrite tip undercooling. Symmetrical (001)/[100] welding configuration, in which undercooling ahead of dendrite tip is preferably narrower than asymmetrical (001)/[110] welding configuration, is one of the most important ingredient for auspicious control of dendrite tip undercooling, once other welding conditions are similar. The main reason, why welding conditions (both low heat input and (001)/[100] welding configuration) is quite superior to welding conditions (both high heat input and (001)/[110] welding configuration), is attributable to favorable crystallography-dependent thermometallurgical factors to suppress inhomogeneous microstructure as long as solidification conditions within marginal stability range. Satisfying crack-free microstructure development is strongly interdependent on kinetics-related solidification behavior through scrupulous control of dendrite tip undercooling to balance between microstructure amelioration and weld depth requirement. The mechanism of columnar/equiaxed transition elimination, by which kinetic driving forces of abnormal microstructure development within high-undercooling region on either left or right side of weld pool is diminished through challenging method of crystallography-dependent dendrite tip undercooling control, is therefore proposed. Finally, there is reasonable consensus between numerical analysis results and experiment results. The numerical analysis provides credible insight into where is liable to microstructure anomalies and why dendrite tip undercooling suppresses stray grain formation for successful laser surface modification of Ni-based single-crystal superalloy.