Treatment processes for superalloy articles and related articles

Abstract

A treatment process for treating an article including a superalloy having a degraded microstructure is presented. The process includes subjecting the article to a first heat-treatment including successively heating and cooling the article between a low-end temperature and a high-end temperature and subjecting the article to a second heat-treatment at a solution annealing temperature in a range of from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit below a gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit above the gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy after performing the first heat-treatment. The low-end temperature is in a range of from about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit to about 1800 degrees Fahrenheit and the high-end temperature is in a range of from about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit to about 2250 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 . A treatment process comprising: heat-treating an article comprising a superalloy having a degraded microstructure, the heat-treatment comprising:
 subjecting the article to a first heat-treatment comprising successively heating and cooling the article between a low-end temperature and a high-end temperature, wherein the low-end temperature is in a range of from about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit to about 1800 degrees Fahrenheit and the high-end temperature is in a range of from about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit to about 2250 degrees Fahrenheit; and   subjecting the article to a second heat-treatment at a solution annealing temperature in a range of from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit below a gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit above the gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy after performing the first heat-treatment.   
     
     
         2 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises the superalloy in a single crystal form or directionally solidified form. 
     
     
         3 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the low-end temperature is in a range of from about 1300 degrees Fahrenheit to about 1600 degrees Fahrenheit and the high-end temperature is in a range of from about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit to about 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         4 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat-treatment comprises successively heating and cooling the article up to 50 times. 
     
     
         5 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat-treatment comprises successively heating and cooling the article from 2 times to about 20 times. 
     
     
         6 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the successive heating and cooling is carried out with a corresponding heating rate or cooling rate in a range of from about 5 degrees Fahrenheit/minute to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit/minute. 
     
     
         7 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the successive heating and cooling is carried out with a corresponding heating rate or cooling rate in a range of from about 10 degrees Fahrenheit/minute to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit/minute. 
     
     
         8 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the second heat-treatment is carried out up to 20 hours. 
     
     
         9 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the second heat-treatment is carried out for a duration of time in a range of from about 5 minutes to about 5 hours. 
     
     
         10 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , wherein the second heat-treatment is carried out at a temperature in a range of from about 45 degrees Fahrenheit below the gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit above the gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy. 
     
     
         11 . The treatment process of  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the heat-treated article from the solution annealing temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The treatment process of  claim 11 , wherein the cooling of the heat-treated article is carried out with a cooling rate higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit/minute. 
     
     
         13 . The treatment process of  claim 12 , wherein the cooling rate is in a range of from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit/minute to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit/minute. 
     
     
         14 . The treatment process of  claim 12 , wherein the cooling rate is in a range of from about 100 degrees Fahrenheit/minute to about 250 degrees Fahrenheit/minute. 
     
     
         15 . An article received after performing the treatment process in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 15 , wherein a mechanically deformed portion of the article comprises a population of grains having an average grain size less than 100 microns. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 16 , wherein the population of grains has an average grain size in a range of from about 1 micron to about 90 microns. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 16 , wherein the population of grains has a maximum grain size less than 150 microns. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 18 , wherein the population of grains has a maximum grain size less than 125 microns. 
     
     
         20 . A treatment process comprising: heat-treating a single crystal or directionally solidified article of a nickel-based superalloy comprising a degraded microstructure, the heat-treatment comprising:
 subjecting the article to a first heat-treatment comprising successively heating and cooling the article at least 2 times between a low-end temperature and a high-end temperature, wherein the low-end temperature is in a range of from about 1300 degrees Fahrenheit to about 1600 degrees Fahrenheit and the high-end temperature is in a range of from about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit to about 2100 degrees Fahrenheit;   subjecting the article to a second heat-treatment at a solution annealing temperature in a range of from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit below a gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit above the gamma-prime solvus temperature of the superalloy after performing the first heat-treatment; and   cooling the heat-treated article from the solution annealing temperature with a cooling rate higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit/minute.