In-Situ Monitoring of Phase Transition and Microstructure Evolution in Ni-Based Superalloys by Electrical Resistivity: Direct Comparison With Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Application to Case Studies

In this study, resistivity measurements are made during continuous heating and cooling on four different Ni-based superalloys of different grain structures and with different phases ( i.e ., γ ′ and carbide). The results are directly compared with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) profiles to identify the material’s resistivity response. The resistivity measurements have been performed using an electro-thermal mechanical testing (ETMT) system having a capability of heating and cooling a sample at a rate of up to 100 K/s by Joule heating, which is not possible with standard heating methods used in previous in-situ microstructure analysis approaches. By comparing different precipitate variations and thermal histories, γ ′ volume fraction and precipitate number density are found to be the most important factors determining the resistivity of the materials. In-situ resistivity measurement was applied to several case studies to show that it can provide microstructural information in complex high temperature experiments.