A laboratory study was performed to investigate the aged mechanical properties of standard chemistry static cast 20Cr32Ni1Nb alloy versus a modified chemistry version of the alloy. The modified chemistry consisted of minimizing the niobium-to-carbon ratio and the silicon content and increasing the anganese content. Mechanical testing at room temperature and elevated temperature, high temperature creep rupture testing, and microstructural analyses were performed on material in the ascast condition as well as material aged from 10 to 10,000 hours at a constant temperature of 1472F (800C). Room temperature mechanical testing indicated that the aged tensile strength and aged ductility of the modified chemistry alloy was consistently superior to the standard chemistry alloy. Microstructural analysis indicated the tensile strength and ductility degradation of the standard chemistry material was directly correlated to the precipitation of a nickel-niobium-silicon rich phase.The chemistry modification mitigated precipitation of the detrimental nickel-niobium-silicon rich phase.
Keywords: heat-resistant casting, aging, mechanical properties, intermetallic silicides, G-phase