Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 January 2013
Micro-compression behavior of single crystalline Ni-base superalloy CMSX-4 has been studied especially focusing on a specimen size range comparable to the size of Ni3Al (γ’) precipitates of about 500 nm using square cross-section micro-pillar specimens. The variation in stress levels exhibited a considerable increase for smaller micro-pillar specimens with edge lengths below 2 μm. Shearing of both the Ni (γ) channels and the γ’ precipitates was observed indicating that stress levels were significant enough to cause the dislocations to cut into the γ’ precipitates at room temperatures.