Nickel-based alloy embodiments and method of making and using the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a nickel-based alloy. In particular embodiments, the nickel-based alloy is configured for use in applications involving supercritical fluids. The disclosed nickel-based alloy embodiments are highly resistant to corrosion and exhibit high stability and thus are suited for use in vessels, boilers, piping, and other receptacles that contain or are used with supercritical fluids. Method embodiments of making the nickel-based alloy also are disclosed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A Ni-based alloy comprising:
 greater than 40 wt. % and less than 70 wt. % nickel;   greater than zero and less than 25 wt. % chromium;   greater than zero and less than 25 wt. % cobalt;   greater than zero and less than 10 wt. % aluminum.   
     
     
         2 . The alloy of  claim 1 , further comprising greater than 0 wt. % to 1% carbon, greater than 0 wt. % to 20% Mo, greater than 0 wt. % to 20% W, greater than 0 wt. % to 5% Ti, greater than 0 wt. % to 15% Fe, greater than 0 wt. % to 1% B, greater than 0 wt. % to 5% Mn, greater than 0 wt. % to 5% Si, greater than 0 wt. % to 1% Cu, greater than 0 wt. % to 1% P, greater than 0 wt. % to 1% S, greater than 0 wt. % to 10% niobium, or any and all combinations. 
     
     
         3 . The alloy of any one of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises 15 wt. % to 25 wt. % Cr. 
     
     
         4 . The alloy of any one of  claim 3 , wherein the alloy comprises 5 wt. % to 18 wt. % Co. 
     
     
         5 . The alloy of any one of  claim 4 , wherein the alloy comprises 0.5 wt. % to 4 wt. % Nb. 
     
     
         6 . The alloy of any one of  claim 5 , wherein the alloy comprises 0.05 wt. % to 5 wt. % Al. 
     
     
         7 . The alloy of any one of  claim 6 , wherein the alloy comprises 0.02 wt. % to 0.5 wt. % C. 
     
     
         8 . The alloy of any one of  claim 7 , wherein the alloy comprises 5 wt. % to 10% Mo, 5 wt. % to 10% W, 0.5 wt. % to 4% Ti, 0.5 wt. % to 4% Fe, 0.001 wt. % to 0.02% B, greater than 0 wt. % to 2% Mn, greater than 0 wt. % to 2% Si, greater than 0 wt. % to 1% Cu, greater than 0 wt. % to 0.1% P, greater than 0 wt. % to 0.1% S, 0.5 wt. % to 4% niobium, or any and all combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The alloy of any one of  claim 8 , wherein the alloy has a microstructure comprising at least one secondary phase. 
     
     
         10 . The alloy of  claim 9 , wherein the microstructure comprises phase having a grain size of 50 micrometer to 150 micrometers. 
     
     
         11 . The alloy of any one of  claim 10 , wherein the microstructure comprises a substantially uniformly distributed γ′-phase, a carbide-containing phase, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The alloy of any one of  claim 11 , wherein the alloy has an exterior surface and the exterior surface is oxidized. 
     
     
         13 . The alloy of  claim 12 , wherein the exterior surface is carburized. 
     
     
         14 . Use of Ni-based alloy in applications involving supercritical fluids; wherein said alloy comprises greater than 40 wt. % and less than 70 wt. % nickel, greater than zero and less than 25 wt. % chromium and greater than zero and less than 25 wt. % cobalt. 
     
     
         15 . The alloy of  claim 14 , wherein the composition is highly resistant to corrosion and exhibits high stability so that it is effective for use in vessels, boilers, piping, and other receptacles that contain or are used with supercritical fluids. 
     
     
         16 . A method for fabricating a nickel-based alloy, comprising:
 determining a set of properties for the nickel-based alloy;   determining an initial composition of constituent alloy elements of the nickel-based alloy;   calculating the set of properties selected from a partition coefficient of the alloy, a yield strength of the alloy, a tensile strength of the alloy, a creep rupture stability of the alloy, or any combination   thereof for the initial composition of the nickel-based alloy using thermodynamic analysis, a kinetic analysis, or a combination thereof;   fabricating the nickel-based alloy;   subjecting the nickel-based alloy to at least one subsequent treatment selected from homogenization, aging, strain-hardening, solution-treating, protective coating formation, or combinations thereof at a particular temperature, treatment time period, applied stress, or combinations thereof;   analyzing a microstructure of the nickel-based alloy using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning electron microscopy-back scattered electron imaging (SEM-BSE), secondary-electron imaging (SE), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area diffraction (SAED), high resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), or any combination thereof;   analyzing at least one mechanical property of the nickel-based alloy; and   exposing the nickel-based alloy to a supercritical fluid;   wherein calculating the set of properties using thermodynamics analysis, kinetics analysis, or combinations thereof is conducted utilizing the Scheil-Gulliver equation and utilizing computer-aided software to generate a solidification plot, an equilibrium plot, a coarsening plot, a stress-strain plot, a partition coefficient, a simulated homogenization treatment, a simulated binding energy, or combinations thereof.