We studied the microstructures and isothermal oxidation of the Nb-silicide-based alloys Nb-11.5Ti-18Si-5Mo-2W-4.9Sn-4.6Ge-4.5Cr-4.7Al-1Hf (JZ4) and Nb-21Ti-18Si-6.7Mo-1.2W-4.4Sn-4.2Ge-4Cr-3.7Al-0.8Hf (JZ5), calculated their average creep rate for the creep goal conditions of T = 1200 °C and σ = 170 MPa, and compared properties of the two alloys with those of other refractory metal (RM) complex concentrated alloys (RCCAs). Both alloys had a density less than 7.3 g/cm3 and lower than the density of multiphase bcc solid solution + M5Si3 silicide RCCAs. There was macrosegregation of Si in both alloys, which had the same phases in their as-cast microstructures, namely βNb5Si3, αNb5Si3, A15-Nb3X (X = Al, Ge, Si, Sn), TM5Sn2X (X = Al, Ge, Si), C14-Cr2Nb, but no solid solution. After heat treatment at 1500 °C for 100 h, a low volume fraction of a W-rich (Nb, W)ss solid solution was observed in both alloys together with βNb5Si3, αNb5Si3 and A15-Nb3X but not the TM5Sn2X, whereas the Laves phase was observed only in JZ4. At 800 °C, both alloys did not pest, and there was no spallation of their scales at 1200 °C. At both temperatures, both alloys followed parabolic oxidation kinetics and their weight changes were lower than those of Ti-rich Nb-silicide-based alloys. The oxidation of both alloys was superior to that of other RCCAs studied to date. For each alloy the Si macrosegregation, volume fraction of solid solution, chemical composition of solid solution and Nb5Si3, and weight changes in isothermal oxidation at 800 and 1200 °C that were calculated using the alloy design methodology NICE agreed well with the experimental results.
Keywords: Nb-silicide-based alloys; alloy design; complex concentrated alloys; high entropy alloys; intermetallics; microstructures; oxidation; silicides.