The main scope of this study investigated the occurrence of liquation cracking in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of IN738 superalloy weld, IN738 is widely used in gas turbine blades in land-based power plants. Microstructural examinations showed considerable amounts of γ’ uniformly precipitated in the γ matrix. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) maps showed the γ-γ’ colonies were rich in Al and Ti, but lean in other alloy elements. Moreover, the metal carbides (MC), fine borides (M₃B₂ and M₅B₃), η-Ni₃Ti, σ (Cr-Co) and lamellar Ni₇Zr₂ intermetallic compounds could be found at the interdendritic boundaries. The fracture morphologies and the corresponding EPMA maps confirmed that the liquation cracking in the HAZ of the IN738 superalloy weld resulted from the presence of complex microconstituents at the interdendritic boundaries.

Infrared vacuum brazing of CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloy (HEA) using BNi-2 and MBF601 fillers has been investigated. Both brazes show poor wettability at temperatures only 20 °C above their liquidus temperatures. However, the wettability of BNi-2 and MBF601 fillers on CoCrFeMnNi HEA is greatly improved with increasing the test temperatures, 50 °C above their liquidus temperatures. The BNi-2 brazed joints are dominated by Ni-rich matrix with huge CrB and a few tiny boride precipitates. Average shear strengths of joints increase with increasing brazing temperature and/or time, and fracture location changes from blocky CrB in the brazed zone to grain boundary boride in the substrate. The MBF601 brazed joints are composed of CoCrFeMnNi-based matrix, particles of B/Co/Cr/Fe/Mn/Ni/P compounds, and some phosphides form along the grain boundaries of the substrate. The specimen brazed with MBF601 filler foil at 1050 °C for 600 s has the highest average shear strength of 321 MPa, while that brazed at 1080 °C for 600 s has a lower average shear strength of 271 MPa due to the presence of solidification shrinkage voids.

Dissimilar infrared brazing of CoCrFeMnNi/CoCrFeNi equiatomic high entropy alloys and 316 stainless steel using MBF601 and BNi-2 foils was evaluated. The wetting angles of the two fillers at 50 °C above their liquidus temperatures on the three substrates were below 40 degrees. The CoCrFeMnNi/316 SS joint had the highest shear strength of 361 MPa with BNi-2 filler brazing at 1020 °C for 180 s, and fractured at the CrB compound in the joint. The CoCrFeMnNi/MBF601/316 SS joint contained a CoCrFeMnNi-based matrix, phosphides and B-containing compounds. The CoCrFeNi/316 SS joint had the highest shear strength of 374 MPa when brazed with BNi-2 filler at 1020 °C for 600 s, and fractured at the CrB in the joint. The CoCrFeNi/MBF601/316 SS joint consisted of a (Fe,Ni)-rich matrix, phosphides and B/Cr/Fe/P compounds, and the highest shear strength of 324 MPa was achieved when it was brazed at 1080 °C for 600 s.