Role of Stoichiometry on Ordering in Ni-Cr Alloys

Mechanical property degradation due to an ordering phase transformation is a concern for alloys based on the Ni-Cr binary system (e.g., 690, 625), particularly in nuclear power applications, such as stream generator tubing, reactor pressure vessel and head control rod drive mechanism penetrations, where component lifetimes can exceed 40 years. In the present research, the disorder-order phase transformation has been studied in Ni-Cr model alloys with varying stoichiometry by experimental methods. In this paper, the effect of composition on ordering is characterized via X-ray diffraction.