Changes in electrochemical properties of directionally solidified nibase superalloy due to creep and damage evaluation

Changes in electrochemical properties of directionally solidified Ni-base superalloy CM 247 LC due to creep have been investigated. The electrochemical polarization technique has been applied to creep-ruptured and creep-interrupted specimens under various creep condition in order to examine a detectability of creep damage. Experimental results on electrochemical polarization measurements revealed that the peak current density "I_p" and "I_pr" which appeared at a specific potential during potentiodynamic polarization reactivation measurements in dilute glyceregia solution increased with increased thermal history and showed a good correlation with Larson-Miller Parameter value, I_p and I_pr value reflected both a thermal aging effect and a stress effect, and increased with a creep life fraction. The increases in I_p and I_pr were mainly corresponded to increases in preferential dissolution rate of γ phase at γ/γ interface. This preferential dissolution was considered as a result from degradation of corrosion resistance of γ phase at γ/γ interface which may be attributable to creep damage accumulation. As a consequence, the creep damage in CM 247 LC can be quantitatively evaluated by the electrochemical technique.