About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Progress Toward Mechanisms, Thermodynamics, and Kinetics of Phase Transformations: An MPMD/SMD Symposium Honoring John H Perepezko
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| Presentation Title |
Laves Phase Refractory Superalloys: Metastable Precursors for Microstructural Control |
| Author(s) |
Dan J. Thoma, Will Kunkel |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Dan J. Thoma |
| Abstract Scope |
Laves phases are among the most abundant intermetallic structures and exhibit exceptional high-temperature strength, retaining approximately 85% of their strength at half their homologous melting temperature. Despite these attractive properties, their widespread use in structural applications remains limited by intrinsic brittleness. This work demonstrates an alternative strategy that bypasses equilibrium Laves phase formation, enabling controlled nucleation and growth of fine-scale precipitates from a metastable solid solution. Specifically, rapid solidification during metal additive manufacturing kinetically suppresses formation of the ordered intermetallic, favoring retention of a metastable BCC solid solution. Computational phase-diagram models are further employed to increase the thermodynamic driving force for BCC phase formation. Using these concepts, Nb–Cr–Ti–V alloys achieve strengths exceeding 1 GPa at 1273 K. Extension of this metastable precursor strategy to Mg alloys, resulting in high tensile strength and ductility, will also be presented to illustrate the broader applicability of the approach. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, High-Temperature Materials, Phase Transformations |