Effect of Tungsten Addition on the Nucleation of Borides in Wide Gap Brazed Joint

Abstract

Wide gap brazing (WGB) is a cost effective and reliable means to repair gas turbine hot section components with defect sizes exceeding 0.3 mm. However, it has been shown that WGB joints of nickel-based superalloys suffer from reduced ductility and thermal fatigue life due to the presence of brittle intermetallics and porosities in the brazed joint. In order to disperse the brittle intermetallic compounds, potentially increase the ductility of the repaired region, and reduce the risk of the thermomechanical fatigue failure, elemental tungsten (W) was added to the braze additive filler alloy IN738 by mechanical alloying. The alloyed IN738 was then brazed with the addition of 30 wt %, 50 wt %, and 80 wt % of braze alloy (BNi-9). After brazing at 1200°C for 20 min, microstructural analysis of WGB joints showed a decreasing trend of discrete boride size and the amount of eutectic and script-shaped borides with the increases of W. The increase in the braze alloy to additive filler alloy ratio diminished the effect of W addition due the dissolution of W particulates.