Methods for preparing superalloy articles and related articles

A method for preparing an article, comprising:

• heat-treating a workpiece comprising a nickel-based superalloy at a temperature higher than a gamma-prime solvus temperature of the nickel-based superalloy, wherein the nickel-based superalloy comprises:
• at least 30 weight percent nickel;
• from about 0.2 weight percent to about 4 weight percent titanium, from about 0.2 weight percent to about 4 weight percent tantalum or from about 0.2 weight percent to about 4 weight percent of a combination of titanium and tantalum thereof;
• from about 0.2 weight percent to about 3 weight percent aluminum;
• and
• from about 1.5 weight percent to about 7 weight percent niobium,
• wherein an atomic ratio of titanium to aluminum, an atomic ratio of tantalum to aluminum or an atomic ratio of the combination of titanium and tantalum to aluminum is in a range from about 0.2 to about 2;
• and
• cooling the heat-treated workpiece with a cooling rate less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit/minute from the temperature higher than the gamma-prime solvus temperature of the nickel-based superalloy so as to obtain a cooled workpiece comprising a coprecipitate of a gamma-prime phase and a gamma-double-prime phase at a concentration of at least 20 percent by volume of a material of the cooled workpiece, wherein the gamma-prime phase has an average particle size less than 100 nanometers.

An article comprising:

• a material comprising:
• at least 30 weight percent nickel;
• from about 0.1 weight percent to about 6 weight percent titanium, from about 0.1 weight percent to about 6 weight percent tantalum or from about 0.1 weight percent to about 6 weight percent of a combination of titanium and tantalum;
• from about 0.1 weight percent to about 6 weight percent aluminum;
• and
• from about 0.5 weight percent to about 9 weight percent niobium,
• wherein an atomic ratio of titanium to aluminum, an atomic ratio of tantalum to aluminum or an atomic ratio of the combination of titanium and tantalum to aluminum is in a range from about 0.1 to about 4;
• wherein the material further comprises a coprecipitate comprising a gamma-prime phase and a gamma-double-prime phase dispersed within a matrix phase at a concentration of at least 10 percent by volume of the material, wherein the gamma-prime phase has an average particle size less than 250 nanometers,
• wherein the article has a minimum dimension greater than 6 inches.