The weldability of the single-crystal superalloy CMSX-4 is severely limited due to solidification cracking, which arises from strong solute segregation and the persistence of interdendritic liquid films during terminal solidification. Varestraint test...
The weldability of the single-crystal superalloy CMSX-4 is severely limited due to solidification cracking, which arises from strong solute segregation and the persistence of interdendritic liquid films during terminal solidification. Varestraint testing revealed that solidification brittle temperature range(BTR) increases with dendrite coalescence undercooling (ΔTb), which is amplified by crystallographic misorientation (θ). Higher θ promotes liquid-film instability and correlates with an expanded BTR. To clarify the origin of misorientation, weld solidification behavior was analyzed through a columnar- to-equiaxed transition (CET) based welding simulation. Conditions that reduce G/R disrupt epitaxial growth, generate stray grains, and elevate cracking susceptibility, whereas maintaining sufficiently high G/R stabilizes epitaxy. These findings establish a mechanistic link between ΔTb, θ evolution, CET behavior, and BTR variation, providing a foundation for developing solidification crack-free, epitaxially grown welding strategies for CMSX-4 repair applications.