Triple heat treatment effects of Inconel X-750 superalloy on its microstructure, hardness, and high-temperature fretting wear characteristics

Inconel X-750 alloy specimens were undergone the triple heat treatment process: solution annealing (1149 °C/2h), equalization treatment (843 °C/24h), and precipitation treatment (704 °C/20h). Then microstructure characterization and hardness tests were performed prior to the self-mated pin-on-disk fretting wear tests in the range of 25 °C-650 °C temperature conditions. This type of alloys is widely used in bump-type gas foil bearing applications where complex fretting phenomenon occurs between foils under harsh operating conditions. Conducted investigations revealed that the heat-treated sample developed more precipitated phases in the matrix and along the grain boundaries with higher bulk hardness. Fretting wear surface morphologies indicate that the formation of glaze layer composed of NiO, Cr2O3, and mixed Ni(Fe,Cr)2O4 oxides prevail on the wear scar during the elevated temperatures, harnessing significantly lower friction coefficient and wear loss. Severe material transfers and galling were the dominant wear mechanism in the non-heat-treated alloy interface which caused the stick-slip frictional behavior. On the contrary, the heat-treated alloy surfaces demonstrated the stable coefficient of friction and 3–10 times lower wear rates at high temperatures due to the additional Cr-rich carbides. It is believed that these hard and lubricious Cr2O3 internal oxide precipitates form healing glaze barrier in the interface by protecting against severe material transfer/build-up.