Method for solution heat treated alloy components

Abstract

A method for adjusting properties of components made of an alloy includes providing historical data for one or more properties of components made of an alloy and produced at different times. The components are solution heat treated at a pre-established solution heat treatment condition. A trending change in the one or more properties is then identified and test specimens made of the alloy are provided. The test specimens are divided into a plurality of groups and solution heat treated at different conditions. The test specimens are then mechanically tested to provide empirical data. The empirical data is compared to performance criteria and a solution heat treatment condition is identified over which the empirical data meets the performance criteria. The pre-established solution heat treatment condition is then adjusted for future ones of the plurality of components according to the identified solution heat treatment condition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for adjusting properties of components made of an alloy, the method comprising:
 providing historical data for one or more properties of a plurality of components made of an alloy and that are produced at different times over a time period, wherein the plurality of components are solution heat treated at a pre-established solution heat treatment condition and precipitation heat treated;   identifying a trending change in the one or more properties over the time period;   providing test specimens made of the alloy and that differ in shape from the plurality of components;   dividing the test specimens into a plurality of groups and solution heat treating and precipitation heat treating each of the plurality of groups at a different one of a plurality of heat treatment conditions, each of the plurality of heat treatment conditions including a set of at least a solution heat treatment temperature, a heating rate and a cooling rate;   mechanically testing the test specimens after the solution heat treating and precipitation heat treating to provide empirical data;   comparing the empirical data to predetermined performance criteria;   identifying a solution heat treatment condition from the plurality of heat treatment conditions over which the empirical data meets the predetermined performance criteria; and   adjusting a pre-established solution heat treatment condition for future ones of the plurality of components according to the identified solution heat treatment condition.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alloy is a nickel-based alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alloy is a nickel-based alloy that has gamma double prime phase, gamma prime phase and a delta phase present after the solution heat treating and precipitation heat treatment. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alloy is a nickel-based alloy that has a gamma prime phase and a delta phase present after the solution heat treating and precipitation heat treatment. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the alloy is a nickel-based alloy that has gamma prime phase present after the solution heat treating and precipitation heat treatment. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the empirical data and performance criteria include ultimate tensile strength, 0.2% yield strength, tensile percent elongation and tensile reduction in area. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the empirical data and performance criteria include tensile stress rupture life, tensile percent elongation and tensile reduction in area. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising solution heat treating the future ones of the plurality of components at the identified heat treatment condition to non-destructively qualify that the future ones of the plurality of components meet the predetermined performance criteria. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , including adjusting the pre-established solution heat treatment condition for each of a plurality of batches of the alloy, the plurality of batches of the alloy varying from each other in chemical composition. 
     
     
         10 . A method of estimating an unknown solvus for a phase of a given alloy, the method comprising:
 providing empirical data of a plurality of alloys from an alloy class, the empirical data at least including chemical compositions, heating rates, cooling rates and alloy solvus temperatures of the plurality of alloys;   providing an alloy chemical composition, a selected heating rate and a selected cooling rate of another alloy from the alloy class that has an unknown solvus temperature;   estimating the unknown solvus temperature based upon the empirical data to provide an estimated solvus temperature of the alloy; and   establishing a solution heat treatment temperature corresponding to the estimated solvus temperature at which to treat a component that includes the alloy.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the estimating of the unknown solvus temperature includes determining an influence of the chemical compositions on the solvus temperatures of the plurality of alloys. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the estimating of the unknown solvus temperature includes determining an influence of the heating rates on the solvus temperatures of the plurality of alloys. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the estimating of the unknown solvus temperature includes determining an influence of the cooling rates on the solvus temperatures of the plurality of alloys. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the estimating of the unknown solvus temperature includes determining an influence of each of the chemical compositions, the heating rates and the cooling rates on the solvus temperatures of the plurality of alloys. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein:
 the estimating of the unknown solvus temperature includes determining an influence of the chemical compositions, heating rates and cooling rates on the solvus temperatures of the plurality of alloys; and   the estimating of the unknown solvus temperature includes comparing the alloy chemical composition, the selected heating rate and the selected cooling rate of the alloy that has the unknown solvus temperature to the chemical compositions, the heating rates and the cooling rates of the plurality of alloys to provide the estimated solvus temperature of the alloy.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the alloy class is a nickel-based alloy. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the nickel-based alloy has gamma double prime phase, gamma prime phase and a delta phase present after a solution heat treatment and a precipitation heat treatment. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the nickel-based alloy has a gamma prime phase and a delta phase present after a solution heat treatment and a precipitation heat treatment. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the nickel-based alloy has gamma prime phase present after a solution heat treatment and a precipitation heat treatment. 
     
     
         20 . A method for selecting a solution heat treatment condition of an alloy on a per-batch basis, the method comprising:
 for each batch of an alloy, providing test specimens made of the alloy and that differ in shape from the plurality of components;   dividing the test specimens into a plurality of groups and solution heat treating and precipitation heat treating each of the plurality of groups at a different one of a plurality of heat treatment conditions, each of the plurality of heat treatment conditions including a set of at least a solution heat treatment temperature, a heating rate and a cooling rate;   mechanically testing the test specimens after the solution heat treating and precipitation heat treating to provide empirical data;   comparing the empirical data to predetermined performance criteria;   identifying a solution heat treatment condition from the plurality of heat treatment conditions over which the empirical data meets the predetermined performance criteria; and   adjusting a pre-established solution heat treatment condition to treat a plurality of components according to the identified heat treatment condition.