PROCESSING, MICROSTRUCTURE AND CREEP BEHAVIOR OF MO-SI-B-BASED INTERMETALLIC ALLOYS FOR VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS

This research project is concerned with developing a fundamental understanding of the effects of processing and microstructure on the creep behavior of refractory intermetallic alloys based on the Mo-Si-B system. During this year, the microstructure, bend strength and compressive creep behavior of a Mo-3Si-1B (in wt.%) alloy were studied. The microstructure of this alloy was three-phase, being composed of {alpha}-Mo, Mo{sub 3}Si and T2-Mo{sub 5}SiB{sub 2} phases. The elastic limit strength of the alloy remained quite high until 1200 C with a value of 800MPa, but dropped rapidly thereafter to a value of 220 MPa at 1400 C. Results of compressive creep tests at 1200 C showed that the creep rates were quite high and varied nearly linearly with stress between 250 and 500 MPa, which suggests that diffusional mechanisms dominate the creep process. Microstructural observations of post-crept samples indicated the presence of many voids in the {alpha}-Mo grains and few cracks in the intermetallic particles and along their interfaces with the {alpha}-Mo matrix. These results and presented and discussed.