Integrated System for High-throughput Metal Preparation and Performance Prediction

Fanchao Meng¹，Wenkai Deng²，Zaiwang Huang²，Shangzhou Zhang¹，Liang Jiang^1*

¹ Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong Province 264005, China;

² Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410083

ABSTRACT: An integrated system for metal preparation and performance prediction has been developed. The system can simulate the cooling process of metals at different cooling rates, prepare alloy materials with microstructure gradient distribution, and rapidly study cooling rate-microstructure- performance-residual stress relationship on a single sample, so as to quickly screen the material preparation process and optimize the characteristics of materials, processes and components. It can be applied to accurately and efficiently develop high-performance materials and components. In this system, several thermocouples were used to measure the temperature curves of different regions in the end quenching process, and then the temperature curves of samples without phase transformation and with phase transformation are simulated by software. In addition, the system integrates the end quenching analysis method and computer simulation, establishes a high-throughput metal end quenching platform, forms a set of efficient and accurate data acquisition method of metal properties in the quenching process, which can effectively obtain the material composition-process-microstructure-performance relationship. In this report, the powder metallurgy nickel-based superalloy was taken as the research object, and the end quenching gradient cooling heat treatment is adopted to realize the continuous change of solution cooling rate in a large range on a single sample, and the gradient distribution of γ′ strengthening phase structure was obtained. Using this method, the microstructure of different heat treatment processes can be obtained quickly. The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure of the alloy was systematically studied by means of finite element simulation of temperature field, thermodynamic and kinetic calculation and microstructure characterization. Based on the classical precipitation strengthening model, Nava model and probabilistic cutting model, a new multi peak distribution strength superposition model of γ′ phase size was proposed. Combining with solution strengthening and grain boundary strengthening models, the room temperature yield strength of alloys with different microstructures was predicted, and the quantitative relationship between process- structure- properties of nickel-based superalloy was established.

 Fig. 1 High-throughput metal material performance tester

Keywords: Material genetic engineering; high-throughput preparation; composition-process -microstructure-performance relationship; integrated computational material engineering; high-end equipment