High-throughput Experimentations Accelerate the Micro-synthesis and Characterization of Combinatorial Alloy Library

Lilong Zhu¹, Zi Wang², Lei Zhao³, Gemei Cai², Liang Jiang^1*, Jicheng Zhao⁴, Haizhou Wang³, Zhanpeng Jin²

¹ Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong 264005, China

² Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, China

³ Central Iron & Steel Research Institute, Beijing 100081, China

⁴ University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA

ABSTRACT: As one of the key innovation infrastructures in the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), high-throughput experimentations can be used to accumulate abundant experimental data in a short period of time, which enables rapid and effective establishment of composition- phase-microstructure-property relationships and database. Those fundamental data can also serve as experimental validation for new computational methods or theoretical models for composition-microstructure-property prediction. In the present study, high-throughput diffusion multiple, hot-isostatic-pressing (HIP) micro-synthesis, and additive manufacturing approaches were applied to efficiently fabricate combinatorial alloys. Accordingly, high spatial resolution characterization tools of SEM, EPMA, Micro-XRF and Micro-XRD were integrated for high-throughput statistical mapping of composition, crystal structure, microstructure and various properties, which significantly accelerate the establishment of composition-phase-property relationships for rapid development of digital database and for validation of theoretical models. The main results are summarized in the following: (1) Nine isothermal sections of the Co-Ni-X (X = W, Mo, Nb, Ta) and Co-Al-X (X = W, Mo, Nb, Ni, Ta) ternary systems at 900 and 800 °C were constructed by employing two Co-CoAl-Cr-Mo-Nb-Ni-Ta-W diffusion multiples. (2) Diffusion coefficients of six Ti-X (X = Cr, Mo, Nb, V, Hf, Zr) systems were extracted from five Ti-TiAl-Cr-Hf-Mo-Nb-V-Zr diffusion multiples using the forward-simulation analysis (FSA). Moreover, a combined liquid-solid diffusion couples (LSDCs) and FSA approach was developed to evaluate diffusion coefficients at elevated temperatures in alloy systems with low-eutectic point or containing alloying element with very low melting point. (3) The diffusion multiple approach was further extended to systematically map the composition- phase-microstructure-property relationships in multicomponent Ni-based superalloys. (4) Dozens of individual Ni-based superalloys were fabricated by HIP and laser additive manufacturing. Application of high spatial resolution characterization tools on these composition-varying bulk samples will accelerate the measurement and development of novel Ni-based superalloys.

 Fig. 1 High-throughput experimentation accelerate the establishment of combinatorial alloy library

Keywords: High-throughput experimentation; Phase equilibria; Diffusion coefficients; Microstructure.