Engineering practical aspect of material degradation due to Kirkendall effect

Abstract

The diffusion joints of Ni/Ni3Al were prepared by electron beam welding in vacuum furnace and diffusion annealing at three different temperature (1000, 1100 and 1140°C) and for different annealing time. The microstructure properties were investigated before and after diffusion annealing by means of light and scanning electron microscopes. In the context of the concentration changes microstructure changes and Kirkendall voids occurrence were observed. The obtained results were completed by surface topography of Kirkendall voids in etched specimens by atomic force microscopy (AFM).