DEVELOPMENT OF 2 RHENIUM-CONTAINING SUPERALLOYS FOR SINGLE-CRYSTAL BLADE AND DIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFIED VANE APPLICATIONS IN ADVANCED TURBINE-ENGINES

A team approach involving several turbine engine companies using the c oncepts of simultaneous engineering has been used to successfully deve lop CMSX-4(R) alloy for turbine blade applications. CMSX-4 alloy is a second-generation, single-crystal cast nickel-base superalloy containi ng 3% Re and approximately 70% volume fraction of gamma'. The high lev el of balanced properties determined by laboratory evaluation has been confirmed during field testing of the Solar(R) Mars T-14000 industria l gas turbine with CMSX-4 single-crystal (SX) blades in both the coate d and bare condition. A similar collaborative approach has resulted in the successful development of CM 186 LC(R) alloy for complex, directi onally solidified (DS) columnar grain vane segments. CM 186 LC alloy i s a second-generation DS columnar grain cast nickel-base superalloy co ntaining 3% Re and approximately 65% volume fraction of gamma'. Excell ent component producibility and quality is demonstrated. Turbine engin e testing is scheduled to commence by the end of 1993.