Effect of Tungsten Contents and Heat Treatment on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Hastelloy C-276 Alloy Investment Castings

The effects of W content and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Hastelloy C-276 alloy investment castings were discussed. As the W content was increased, dendritic microstructure was refined and network type precipitate formed during solidification was distributed on the dendritic grain boundaries. Cr, Fe and Mn were highly segregated in the Ni-based dendrite matrix, and Mo, W, C and Si were in the precipitates. Due to the heat treatment, fine granular and flake precipitates were newly formed in the matrix, and unresolved network type precipitates remained on the grain boundary. The network type precipitates and the granular and flake precipitates formed by heat treatment were confirmed to be µ phase intermetallic compounds with similar compositions. Due to the increase of the W content and the heat treatment, hardness and tensile strength were sig-nificantly increased. However, tensile strength after aging treatment was decreased with the W content. These results can be explained in that brittle fracturing by the unresolved network type precipitates dispersed in the grain boundary was predominant over ductile fracturing by the dimple ruptures originating from the fine granular precipitates in the matrix.