Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Alloys,

The principle of oxide dispersion strengthening has been applied to precious metals, nickel, ferritic steels, aluminum alloys and superalloys. Conventional melting processes are unsuitable for the production of ODS alloys and alternative methods are required to incorporate oxides etc. into various base compositions. One of these methods, mechanical alloying is particularly appropriate to large scale commercialisation and can readily accommodate reactive alloying elements. The commercial production, properties and applications of ODS superalloys are described. The strength contribution of the oxides gives the alloy designer more freedom to optimise for oxidation and sulphidation resistance or to minimise the use of strategic metals for example, the alloys described are all cobalt-free. Author