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Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Processing of Bulk Nanocrystalline Metals at the US Army Research Laboratory
Published on: March 7, 2018
Nano-sized precipitate stability and its controlling factors in a NiAl-strengthened ferritic alloy
Zhiqian Sun1, Gian Song1, Jan Ilavsky2
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
Abstract:
Coherent B2-ordered NiAl-type precipitates have been used to reinforce solid-solution body-centered-cubic iron for high-temperature application in fossil-energy power plants. In this study, we investigate the stability of nano-sized precipitates in a NiAl-strengthened ferritic alloy at 700-950 °C using ultra-small angle X-ray scattering and electron microscopies. Here we show that the coarsening kinetics of NiAl-type precipitates is in excellent agreement with the ripening model in multicomponent alloys. We further demonstrate that the interfacial energy between the matrix and NiAl-type precipitates is strongly dependent on differences in the matrix/precipitate compositions. Our results profile the ripening process in multicomponent alloys by illustrating controlling factors of interfacial energy, diffusivities, and element partitioning. The study provides guidelines to design and develop high-temperature alloys with stable microstructures for long-term service.
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