| 2026 №03 (05) |
DOI of Article 10.37434/as2026.03.06 |
2026 №03 (07) |
"Avtomatychne Zvaryuvannya" (Automatic Welding), #3, 2026, pp. 42-50
Investigation of thermodeformation processes in friction welding of nickel-based superalloys
I.V. Ziakhor
, А.М. Levchuk
E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine
11 Kazymyr Malevych Str., 03150, Kyiv, Ukraine.
E-mail: zyakhor2@ukr.net
When implementing new designs of aircraft gas turbine engines (GTE), the development of technologies for solid-state joining of nickel-based superalloys in similar and dissimilar combinations is relevant. The work investigated contact interaction processes at the initial stages of the friction welding (FW) process of the VZhL12U cast blade alloy with the EI698VD forged disk alloy. The experiments on FW were carried out on samples of alloys manufactured by JSC “Motor Sich”. To study the contact interaction at the initial stages (before the start of the process of samples shortening), the FW process was stopped in various ways and the surface of the samples was analyzed. It was established that the processes of contact interaction before the start of samples shortening are characterized by explosive destruction of frictional bonds, the presence of metal splashes that diverge in the radial direction. The metal temperature in the contact interaction zone exceeds the melting temperature, at least for the VZhL12U alloy. In the central part of the cross-section of the samples, the FW process is accompanied by deep tearing and mixing of structural elements, and for the peripheral areas, the destruction of metallic bonds along the friction surface, which is shifted to a more alloyed alloy VZhL12U, is characteristic. A transition layer is formed in the contact interaction zone, the width of which varies across the cross-section of the samples and ranges from 30 to 450 microns. It is shown that at the initial stage of the FW process, at least before the start of samples shortening, isolation of the contact zone from interaction with the environment is not achieved. Conditions for minimizing harmful phase transformations in the welded joint of the VZhL12U and EI698VD alloys during FW are determined: the application of high pressure values, at least at the final stage of rotation braking, the duration of which should be sufficient to displace the transition layer beyond the cross-section of the samples. 20 Ref., 2 Tabl., 12 Fig.
Keywords: nickel-based superalloy, friction welding, welded joint, thermal cycle, microstructure, γ’-phase, microhardness.
Received: 12.03.2026
Received in revised form: 07.05.2026
Accepted: 14.05.2026
Posted online 20.05.2026
References
1. Reed, R.C. (2008) The superalloys: fundamentals and applications. New York, Cambridge University Press.2. Das, N. (2010) Advances in nickel-based cast superalloys. Trans. Indian Inst. Met., 63, 265-274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12666-010-0036-7
3. Henderson, M.B., Arrell, D., Hoebel, M., Larsson, R., Marchant, G. (2004) Nickel-based superalloy welding practices for industrial gas turbine applications. Sci. and Techn. of Welding and Joining, 9(1), 13-21. https://doi.org/10.1179/136217104225017099
4. Preuss, M., Threadgill, P. (2010) Solid state welding of aeroengine materials. Encyclopedia of aerospace engineering. Ed. by R. Blockley and W. Shyy. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470686652.eae222
5. Preuss, М., Withers, P.J., Baxter, G.J. (2006) A comparison of inertia friction welds in three nickel base superalloys. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 437, 38-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2006.04.058
6. Raab, U., Levin, S., Wagner, L., Heinze C. (2015) Orbital friction welding as an alternative process for blisk manufacturing. J. of Mater. Proc. Technol., 215, 189-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2014.06.019
7. Ajay, V., Babu, N.K., Ashfaq, M. et al. (2021) A review on rotary and linear friction welding of inconel alloys. Trans. Indian Inst. Met., 74, 2583-2598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12666-021-02345-z
8. Huang, Z.W., Li, H.Y., Preuss, M., Karadge, M. et al. (2007) Inertia friction welding dissimilar nickel-based superalloys alloy 720Li to In718. Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 38, 1608-1619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-007-9194-6
9. Wang, F.F., Li, W.Y., Li, J.L., Vairis, A. (2014) Process parameter analysis of inertia friction welding nickel-based superalloy. Inter. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol., 71, 1909-1918. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-013-5569-6
10. Masoumi, F., Shahriari, D., Monajati, H., Cormier, J. et al. (2019) Linear friction welding of AD730™ Ni-base superalloy: Process-microstructure property interactions. Materials & Design, 183, 108-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2019.108117
11. Ola, O.T., Ojo, O.A., Wanjara, P., Chaturvedi, M.C. (2012) Analysis of microstructural changes induced by linear friction welding in a nickel-base superalloy. Metal. Mater. Trans. A, 42A, 3761-3777. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-011-0774-0
12. Ola, O.T., Ojo, O.A., Wanjara, P., Chaturvedi, M.C. (2011) Crack free welding of IN 738 by linear friction welding. Adv. Mater. Research, 278, 446-453. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.278.446
13. Tra, T.H., Sakaguchi, M. (2016) High cycle fatigue behavior of the IN718/M247 hybrid element fabricated by friction welding at elevated temperatures. J. of Sci.: Adv. Mat. and Devices, 1(4), 501-506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsamd.2016.08.009
14. Taysom, B.S., Sorensen, C.D., Nelson, T.W. (2021) Strength in rotary friction welding of five dissimilar nickel-based superalloys. Welding J., 100, 302-s-308-s. https://doi.org/10.29391/2021.100.027
15. Amegadzie, M.Y., Ola, O.T., Ojo, O.A., Wanjara, P., Chaturvedi, M.C. (2012) On liquation and liquid phase oxidation during linear friction welding of nickel-base IN 738 and CMSX 486 superalloys. 12th International Symposium on Superalloys (Superalloys 2012), Seven Springs Mountain Resort, PA. 587-594. https://doi.org/10.7449/2012/Superalloys_2012_587_594
16. Kuchuk-Yatsenko, S.I., Zyakhor, I.V., Velikoivanenko, E.A., Rozynka, G.F. (2009) Calculation of thermal-deformation conditions of formation of friction welded joints on heatresistant alloy EI698VD. The Paton Welding J., 7, 7-11.
17. Ziakhor, I.V., Zavertannyi, M.S., Levchuk, A.M., Kapitanchuk, L.M. (2020) Pequliarities of formation of dissimilar nickel-base alloy joints in friction welding. The Paton Welding J., 8, 34-40. https://doi.org/10.37434/tpwj2020.08.06
18. Ziakhor, I.V., Levchuk, A.M. (2026) Microstructure and phase composition of joints of cast and wrought nickel superalloys produced by friction welding. Electrometallurgy Today, 1, 53-63 [in Ukrainian]. https://doi.org/10.37434/sem2026.01.07
19. Ziakhor, I.V. (2001) Modern equipment for friction welding. The Paton Welding J., 7, 48-52.
20. Kuchuk-Yatsenko, S.I., Milenin, A.S., Velikoivanenko, E.A., Antipin, E.V. Didkovsky, A.V. (2018) Mathematical modeling of the process of metal heating in continuous flashbutt welding. The Paton Welding J., 10, 2-8. https://doi.org/10.15407/tpwj2018.10.01
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Suggested Citation
I.V. Ziakhor, А.М. Levchuk (2026) Investigation of thermodeformation processes in friction welding of nickel-based superalloys. Automatic Welding, 03, 42-50. https://doi.org/10.37434/as2026.03.06Advertising in this issue:
