TRR 103:  From Atoms to Turbine Blades - A Scientific Approach for Developing the Next Generation of Single Crystal Superalloys

• Subject Area: Materials Science and Engineering
• Term: from 2012 to 2023
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 190389738

Single crystal Ni-base superalloys (SX) represent key materials for turbine blades in modern gas turbines for aero engines and power plants. International mobility and global energy supply rely on SX. Improvements in efficiency and emissions demand new concepts in the areas of (i) basic understanding of all aspects of alloy design and performance, (ii) continuous improvement and innovation of processing technologies, (iii) scale bridgiung characterization of nano-/microstructures and properties, (iv) scale bridging materials modelling and (v) efficient handling of research data. The research activities of SFB/TR 103 focus on two central questions: What is the role of large and small scale microstructural heterogeneities (large scale heterogeneity: dendrites and interdendritic regions, small scale heterogeneity: γ/γ’-microstructure)? How do alloy elements (especially: d-shell elements like Re, W, ..) affect microstructure, microstructural evolution and properties? It is important to understand how these parameters affect thermodynamic equilibria, the evolution of microstructure during processing and high temperature exposure and high temperature strength. Modern alloy design strives for better performance in terms of most efficient use of fossil resources. It must also respect the limited availability of strategic elements (e.g. less Re, more W, Mo and others). In addition to Ni-base superalloys, an effort is made to explore the high temperature properties of new Co-based single crystal super alloys with γ/γ’-microstructures. In SFB/Transregio 103, the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) join forces and collaborate with the MPIE, Düsseldorf, the DLR, Köln and the FZ Jülich. Different areas of expertise, including materials science and engineering, solid state physics and chemistry, scale bridging materials modeling and processing and manufacturing technology are in close scientific contact. Research in the second third funding period of SFB-Transregio 103 will tackles open questions related to processing of superalloy single crystals, to the stability of microstructures at high temperatures and to elementary deformation and damage mechanisms. In the third funding period, four transfer projects help to transfer research results from academia into applications.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• International Connection: Sweden

Current projects

• T06 - How TCP particles affect the high temperature strength of the polycrystalline Ni-base superalloy C-265 (Project Head Eggeler, Gunther )
• T07 - On the influence of trace elements on the high temperature properties of single crystal Ni-base superalloys (Project Heads Eggeler, Gunther ;  Frenzel, Jan )
• T08 - On the effect of gamma prime phase particle morphology on the high temperature strength of Ni-base superalloys for large later stage blades in land based gas turbines. (Project Head Eggeler, Gunther )
• T10 - Multi-criteria optimization of the alloy composition for refractory alloys (Project Head Markl, Matthias )
• T11 - Deformation mechanism maps and and strength-controlling mechanisms for predicting the mechanical properties of polycrystalline superalloys (Project Head Neumeier, Steffen )
• T12 - Additive manufacturing of single crystalline nickel-based components by electron beam based powder bed fusion (Project Head Körner, Carolin )
• T13 - Influence of H on phase stability and mechanical properties of single-crystal Ni-based superalloys (Project Heads Eggeler, Gunther ;  Gault, Ph.D., Baptiste Jean Germain ;  Hammerschmidt, Thomas )
• T14 - Pressure-assisted thermochemical treatment of high-performance alloys (Project Heads López Galilea, Ph.D., Inmaculada ;  Weber, Sebastian )

Completed projects

• A01 - Mechanical properties of superalloys (Project Heads Eggeler, Gunther ;  Neuking, Klaus ;  Schreuer, Jürgen )
• A02 - Elementary deformation processes in single crystal superalloys (Project Heads Eggeler, Gunther ;  Kostka, Aleksander ;  Somsen, Christoph )
• A03 - Fatigue at high temperature (Project Head Bartsch, Marion )
• A04 - Investigation of the local alloy composition by atom probe tomography (Project Heads Choi, Pyuck-Pa ;  Gault, Ph.D., Baptiste Jean Germain ;  Raabe, Dierk )
• A05 - High temperature oxidation of single-crystalline superalloys – Early stages and elementary processes (Project Head Virtanen, Sannakaisa )
• A06 - Micro- and nanomechanical testing of superalloys at high temperatures (Project Heads Durst, Karsten ;  Göken, Mathias )
• A07 - High resolution and analytical electron microscopy. (Project Head Spiecker, Erdmann )
• B01 - Single crystal solidification with enhanced microstructure (Project Heads Körner, Carolin ;  Rettig, Ralf )
• B02 - Additive manufacturing of single crystalline superalloys (Project Heads Körner, Carolin ;  Markl, Matthias )
• B03 - Single crystal Co-base superalloys (Project Heads Göken, Mathias ;  Neumeier, Steffen )
• B04 - Pressure assisted heat treatment of single crystal superalloys. (Project Heads Huth, Stephan ;  Mujica Roncery, Lais ;  Theisen, Werner )
• B05 - Combinatorial materials science - Thermodynamics, kinetics and mechanical properties of multinary superalloy-subsystems (Project Heads Frenzel, Jan ;  George, Ph.D., Easo P. ;  Ludwig, Alfred ;  Pfetzing-Micklich, Janine )
• B06 - Manufacture and Properties of Protective Coating Systems on Single Crystal Superalloys (Project Head Vaßen, Robert )
• B07 - Formation of crystal defects (Project Heads Eggeler, Gunther ;  Frenzel, Jan ;  George, Ph.D., Easo P. )
• B08 - High entropy alloys with a chemical relationship to the γ-phase (Project Head Laplanche, Ph.D., Guillaume )
• C01 - Atomistic modelling of the local distribution of elements and its influence on elements of the microstructure (Project Heads Drautz, Ralf ;  Hammerschmidt, Thomas )
• C02 - Diffusion and defect interactions in the γ/γ’ microstructure (Project Heads Drautz, Ralf ;  Rogal, Jutta )
• C03 - Atomistic simulations of elementary dislocation processes in coherent and semi-coherent γ/γ’-microstructures: influence of temperature and composition (Project Head Bitzek, Erik )
• C04 - Microstructural creep model for superalloys under complex thermomechanical loads (Project Heads Hartmaier, Alexander ;  Ma, Anxin )
• C05 - Prediction of the properties of Ni and Co based superalloys from solidification to failure (Project Head Steinbach, Ingo )
• C06 - Thermodynamics and kinetics of Ni- and Co-based superalloys: data integration and extension of data bases (Project Heads Fries, Suzana Gomes ;  Steinbach, Ingo )
• C07 - Multi-criteria calculation of optimal compositions of single crystalline superalloys (Project Heads Körner, Carolin ;  Markl, Matthias ;  Rettig, Ralf )
• C08 - Micromechanical analysis of dislocation networks at dynamic ɣ/ɣ’ interfaces (Project Head Stricker, Markus )
• T02 - Data-based property prediction for single crystal superalloys (Project Heads Roslyakova, Irina ;  Steinbach, Ingo )
• T03 - Modeling of thermomechanical fatigue of additively manufactured components (Project Head Hartmaier, Alexander )
• T04 - Pressure assisted heat treatments of superalloys in HIP units with fast cooling rates (Project Heads López Galilea, Ph.D., Inmaculada ;  Theisen, Werner )
• T05 - Protective coatings and repair processes (Project Head Vaßen, Robert )
• Z - Central administrative project (Project Head Eggeler, Gunther )
• Z01 - Central supply with single crystal Ni and Co-based superalloys: planning, melting, solidification, characterization (Project Heads Körner, Carolin ;  Rettig, Ralf )

• Applicant Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Co-Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Participating Institution: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR); Forschungszentrum Jülich; Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien GmbH (MPI SusMat)
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Gunther Eggeler