Synergistic strengthening mechanisms of rhenium in nickel-based single crystal superalloys

A loading-unloading-reloading strategy via atomistic simulations is proposed to reveal the strengthening mechanisms of rhenium in nickel-based superalloys at ambient temperature. Simulations reproduce experimentally observed increased flow stress with addition rhenium. Besides usual solid solution strengthening, two novel are uncovered. One that facilitates dislocation nucleation and, thus, increases propensity forest interactions. The other involves a critical role promoting accumulation sessile stair-rod dislocations, served as obstacles for glissile dislocations. three synergistically render stronger alloy, which heuristic design advanced extreme environments.