Abstract
The effect of carbon addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of $Ni_3Al$ and TiAl intermetallic alloys have been characterized. It is shown that carbon is not only an efficient solid solution strengthener in $Ni_3Al$ and TiAl, it is also an efficient precipitation strengthener by fine dispersion of carbide. Transmission electron microscope investigation has been performed on the particle-dislocation interactions in $Ni_3Al$ and TiAl intermetallics containing various types of fine precipitates. In an $L1_2$-ordered $Ni_3Al$ alloy with 4 mol.% of chromium and 0.2~3.0 mol.% of carbon, fine octahedral precipitates of $M_{23}C_6$ type carbide, which has the cube-cube orientation relationship with the matrix, appear during aging. Typical Orowan loops are formed in $Ni_3Al$ containing fine dispersions of $M_{23}C_6$ particles. In the L10-ordered TiAl containing 0.1~2.0 mol.% carbon, TEM observations revealed that needle-like precipitates, which lie only in one direction parallel to the [001] axis of the $L1_0$ matrix, appear in the matrix and preferentially at dislocations. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns analyses have shown that the needle-shaped precipitate is $Ti_3AlC$ of perovskite type. The orientation relationship between the $Ti_3AlC$ and the $L1_0$ matrix is found to be $(001)_{Ti3AlC}//(001)_{L10\;matrix}$ and $[010]_{Ti3AlC}//[010]_{L10\;matrix}$. By aging at higher temperatures or for longer period at 1073 K, plate-like precipitates of $Ti_2AlC$ with a hexagonal structure are formed on the {111} planes of the $L1_0$ matrix. The orientation relationship between the $(0001)_{Ti2AlC}//(111)_{L10\;matrix}$ is and $[1120]_{Ti2AlC}//[101]_{L10\;matrix}$. High temperature strength of TiAl increases appreciably by the precipitation of fine carbide. Dislocations bypass the carbide needles at further higher temperatures.