Thermo-mechanical properties of Ni-Mo solid solutions: A first-principles study

The mechanical strength of Ni-based single-crystal superalloys under service condition is related to the thermo-mechanical properties of the disordered γ matrix. Here we use density functional theory and quasi-harmonic approximation to determine the temperature-dependent bulk moduli and generalized stacking fault energies (GSFEs) of Ni-Mo solid solutions. We show that the increasing temperatures between 1000 K and 1400 K cause evident reductions in the bulk moduli and planar fault energies of Ni-Mo alloys. Furthermore, their negative slopes versus temperature are gradually diminished with increasing Mo concentration except that of the unstable stacking fault energy. Adopting recent theoretical models for twinning based on GSFE, increasing temperature enhances the twinnability of low-Mo alloys but has limited influences in the case of high-Mo alloys. The composition-dependent thermal expansion, the thermal electronic excitation and the magnetic transition are shown to be the main factors rendering the complex variations in the elastic properties and twinning behavior of Ni-Mo solid solution with temperature.