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 . An alloy, comprising:
 greater than 0 wt % to 80% nickel;   greater than 0 wt % to 30% chromium;   greater than 0 wt % to 25% cobalt;   greater than 0 wt % to 10% aluminum; and   greater than 0 wt % to 1% carbon;   wherein the alloy does not comprise
 (i) 16 wt % Cr, 4.5 wt % Al, 3.5 wt % Fe, 0.05 wt % C, 0.01 wt % B, 0.2 wt % Mn, 0.1 wt % Si, 0.01 wt % Y, 0.02 wt % Zr, and a balance wt % made up of Ni and trace impurities; 
 (ii) 22 wt % Cr, 5 wt % Co, 2 wt % Mo, 14 wt % W, 0.3 wt % Al, 3 wt % Fe, 0.1 wt % C, 0.015 wt % B, 0.5 wt % Mn, 0.4 wt % Si, 0.02 wt % La, and a balance wt % made up of Ni and trace impurities; 
 (iii) 25 wt % Cr, 20 wt % Co, 0.5 wt % Mo, 2 wt % Nb, 1.8 wt % Ti, 0.9 wt % Al, 0.7 wt % Fe, 0.03 wt % C, 0.3 wt % Mn, 0.5 wt % Si, and a balance wt % made of Ni and trace impurities; 
 (iv) 20 wt % Cr, 8 wt % Mo, 3.15 wt % Nb, and a balance wt % made up of Ni and trace impurities; 
 (v) 23 wt % Cr, 1 wt % Co, 10 wt % Mo, 4.15 wt % Nb, 0.4 wt % Ti, 0.4 wt % Al, 5 wt % Fe, 0.1 wt % C, 0.5 wt % Mn, 0.5 wt % Si, 0.015 wt % P, 0.015 wt % S, and a balance wt % made of Ni and trace impurities; or 
 (vi) 25 wt % Cr, 3 wt % or less Co, 2.5 wt % or less Mo, 0.7 wt % Nb, 0.1 wt % Al, 37 wt % Ni, 0.03 wt % C, 0.7 wt % Mn, 0.6 wt % Si, 0.2 wt % N, 0.05 wt % C, 0.004 wt % B, and a balance wt % made of Fe and trace impurities. 
   
     
     
         2 . The alloy of  claim 1 , further comprising 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 thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises 34 wt % to 75 wt % Ni. 
     
     
         4 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises 15 wt % to 30 wt % Cr. 
     
     
         5 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises 5 wt % to 18 wt % Co. 
     
     
         6 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises 0.5 wt % to 4 wt % Nb. 
     
     
         7 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises 0.05 wt % to 5 wt % Al. 
     
     
         8 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy comprises 0.02 wt % to 0.5 wt % C. 
     
     
         9 . The alloy of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         10 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy has a microstructure comprising at least one secondary phase. 
     
     
         11 . The alloy of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one secondary phase comprises precipitates. 
     
     
         12 . The alloy of  claim 10 , wherein the microstructure comprises phase having a grain size of 50 μm to 150 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The alloy of  claim 10 , wherein the microstructure comprises a substantially uniformly distributed γ′-phase, a carbide-containing phase, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the alloy has an exterior surface and the exterior surface is oxidized. 
     
     
         15 . The alloy of  claim 14 , wherein the exterior surface is carburized. 
     
     
         16 . A method for making the alloy of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining a set of properties for the alloy;   determining an initial composition of constituent alloy elements of the alloy;   calculating the set of properties for the initial composition of the alloy using thermodynamic and kinetic analysis; and   fabricating the alloy of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the alloy is configured for use with a supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises altering the initial composition of constituent alloy elements if the alloy fails to satisfy the set of properties for a solid metallic material as evidenced by substantial cracking and/or fracturing of the alloy. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the set of properties of the alloy comprises a solvus temperature, a liquidus temperature, a solidus temperature, or a combination thereof of a secondary phase of alloy. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the set of properties of the alloy comprises 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. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising determining at least one subsequent treatment to which the alloy can be subject to improve the set of properties. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one subsequent treatment comprises solution-treating the alloy, homogenizing the alloy, aging the alloy, strain-hardening the alloy, forming a protective coating on the alloy, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising exposing the alloy to the at least one subsequent treatment. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising analyzing a microstructure of the 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. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising exposing the alloy to a supercritical fluid and measuring corrosion resistance of the alloy. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein measuring corrosion resistance of the alloy comprises measuring a change in mass following exposure of the alloy to the supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         27 . 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.