The Effect of Crystallographic Orientation on the Oxidation Behavior of a Single-Crystal Nickel-Base Superalloy

The oxidation kinetics of DD100 nickel-base single-crystal alloy, with (221) and (100) surface orientations were tested in this study by thermogravimetry. A pronounced anisotropy in both the cyclic and isothermal oxidation resistance of DD100 alloy was observed. The (221) crystallographic surface of DD100 had a slower oxidation rate than the (100) surface when isothermally exposed to stationary air at 950°C, whereas the opposite results were obtained at 1050°C. When cyclically oxidized at 1100°C, the weight loss of samples with (221) surfaces was significantly greater than that of (100) surfaces, so that the cyclic-oxidation anisotropy was more remarkable at 1100°C than at 950°C. The different spatial alignment of the γ′/γ interface is thought to be responsible for the anisotropic oxidation behavior of the nickel-base single crystal alloy.