Application Case of Synchrotron Radiation In-situ Characterization in Superalloy Research_Gogo Instruments Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Application Case of Synchrotron Radiation In-situ Characterization in Superalloy Research

In the research of advanced superalloys, the melting, solidification, and solid-state phase transformation processes of materials under extreme thermal cycling conditions determine their final microstructure evolution and performance. To capture these "transient" physical and chemical processes, GoGo Instruments, in collaboration with the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, has introduced a highly integrated in-situ thermal characterization experimental solution.

Test Site

I. Core Hardware:

This system is specifically designed for synchrotron radiation beamlines, aiming to provide an extremely stable thermal field environment under high-energy X-ray beams.

Ultra-fast Heating/Cooling Rate: The system supports a maximum heating/cooling rate of 30°C/s. This ultra-fast thermal cycling capability effectively simulates the non-equilibrium solidification processes in laser additive manufacturing (3D printing) or high-performance casting.

Extreme Operating Temperature: The steady-state operating temperature can reach up to 1700°C, covering the complete melting range from nickel-based single crystals to high-melting-point refractory alloys.

Synchrotron Radiation Compatibility: The system structure has undergone precision mechanical simulation to ensure optical path transparency and detector angle accessibility, supporting real-time X-ray Diffraction (XRD) or Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) measurements at high temperatures.

II. Testing Principles:

The traditional "heating-quenching-scanning" model cannot replicate the true phase transformation kinetics. This system, combined with the high brightness and high time resolution characteristics of the synchrotron radiation source, achieves a leap from "static observation" to "dynamic tracking":

Heating/Melting Stage: By monitoring the broadening and disappearance of diffraction peaks in real-time, the alloy's liquidus temperature and compositional homogenization process are accurately extracted.

Solidification Kinetics: Under high cooling rates, the precipitation of the primary phase, the evolution of secondary phases, and the freezing process of non-equilibrium structures are captured.

Lattice Evolution: Real-time calculation of changes in lattice constants under different temperature gradients to evaluate the coefficient of thermal expansion and internal stress evolution at high temperatures.

III. Delivery Case Study:

In this delivery test, we successfully recorded the phase transformation trajectory of pure iron throughout a complete cycle:

The GoGo Instruments Ultra-High Temperature Characterization System has undergone multiple in-depth integration tests at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), demonstrating extremely high system stability.

Safeguarding Research!