Patent ID: 8435362

Claim:
A process for producing a single-crystal component or directionally solidified component made of a nickel-based superalloy, from a component which has been cast into shape to form a microstructure having dendrites, the process comprising: A) determining the dendrite arm spacing (λ) in various regions of the component; B) identifying the slowest diffusion element in the composition of the nickel-based superalloy and determining the diffusion coefficient (D); C) calculating the time (t) required to reduce the segregation of said slowest diffusion element to ≦5% at a solution annealing temperature (T 1 ) which is lower than the initiation melting temperature (T mi ); D) solution annealing the component, comprising heating the component to the solution annealing temperature (T 1 ), holding the component at said solution annealing temperature (T 1 ) for the time (t) calculated in step C), and chilling from the temperature (T 1 ) to room temperature (RT) at a rate (v1) of ≧50° C./min; and E) two-stage precipitation treating to precipitate the γ′ phase at in each case lower temperatures (T 2 ) and (T 3 ) following step D), including, in a first stage of the two-stage precipitation treating, performing a HIP process with an isostatic pressure (p) of higher than 160 MPa at the holding temperature (T 2 ) and subsequently cooling from the temperature (T 2 ) to room temperature (RT) at a cooling rate (v2) of ≧50° C./min, and, in a subsequent, second stage of the two-stage precipitation treatment, subjecting the component to heat treatment at a holding temperature (T 3 ) with subsequent cooling from the temperature (T 3 ) to room temperature (RT) at a cooling rate (v3) of 10 to 50° C./min.