Role of Fe in long-range ordered Ni2Cr precipitates in Ni-Cr-Fe model alloys during isothermal aging

The precipitation of new phases during long-term service at elevated temperatures is a concern for the thermal stability of engineering alloys. In Ni-Cr-based alloys, e.g., Alloy 690, the formation of long-range ordered Ni2Cr causes embrittlement and may impact the lifetime of nuclear power plant components. In this work, we quantify the formation and evolution of Ni2Cr precipitation in eleven Ni-Cr-Fe model alloys with 0, 5, 7, and 10 wt % Fe contents, and with Ni/Cr atomic ratios of 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4. These alloys were isothermally aged up to 10,000 h at temperatures between 330 and 475 °C. The alloys were characterized by synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction and Vickers hardness testing to quantify Ni2Cr precipitate size, and the impact of precipitate size on the mechanical properties as a function of Fe content. After 10,000 h of aging at 475 °C and 418 °C, the formation of Ni2Cr was observed in all alloys with 0 and 5 wt % Fe. After 10,000 h of aging at 418 °C, Ni2Cr precipitates were also observed in the 7 wt % Fe containing Ni/Cr=2.0 sample. No clear evidence of Ni2Cr was observed in any of the 10 wt % Fe samples at any time and temperature combination. We find that the face-centered cubic matrix lattice contraction and Vickers hardness are correlated with the Ni2Cr formation. The greatest change in hardness and lattice contraction occurs in stoichiometric alloys (Ni/Cr=2.0) with 0 wt % Fe at 475 °C. The rate of change in the material properties for the 5 wt % Fe alloys is reduced, however the magnitude of changes is similar to 0 wt % Fe alloys. A precipitation hardening model developed for Ni-Cr alloys based on critical resolved shear stress with weakly coupled dislocations shows a clear link between Ni2Cr precipitate size and hardness. This trend held across all alloys with Ni2Cr formation regardless of Fe concentration. This important structure-property relationship can potentially help define Ni-Cr-Fe-based component lifetimes directly through an understanding of how Ni2Cr formation impacts mechanical properties as a function of Fe content.