Influence of magnetically constricted arc traverse speed (MCATS) on tensile properties and microstructural characteristics of welded Inconel 718 alloy sheets

The magnetically constricted arc technique was implemented to mitigate the heat input related metallurgical problems in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding(GTAW)of Inconel 718 alloy particularly Nb segregation and subsequent laves phase evolution in fusion zone.This paper reports the direct effect of magnetically constricted arc traverse speed(MCATS)on bead profile,tensile properties and microstructural evolution of Inconel 718 alloy sheets joined by Gas Tungsten Constricted Arc Welding(GTCAW)process.The mechanism amenable for the microstructural modification and corresponding influence on the tensile properties of joints is investigated both in qualitative and quantitative manner related to the mechanics of arc constriction and pulsing.It is correlated to the solidification conditions during welding.The relationship between MCATS and Arc Constriction Current(ACC)was derived.Its interaction effect on the magnetic arc constriction and joint performance was analysed.Results showed that the joints fabricated using CATS of 70 mm/min exhibited superior tensile properties(98.39% of base metal strength with 31.50% elongation).It is attributed to the grain refinement in fusion zone microstructure leading to the evolution of finer,discrete laves phase in interdendritic areas.

Orientational growth behavior and mechanism of delta(δ)phase precipitation in cold-rolled Inconel 718 alloy during heat treatment

Due to the important role ofδphase's quantity and morphology in the mechanical and fatigue properties of Inconel 718 alloy and its components,it is necessary to renew insights into the effect of cold deformation on theδphase precipitation,especially on the morphology evolution.Therefore,the nucleation and growth behavior ofδphase in cold-rolled Inconel 718 alloy during aging were investigated.The results show that the precipitation rate and volume fraction ofδphase increase with increasing the cold rolling reduction from 10%to 50%.The volume fraction ofδphase reaches equilibrium after 5 h,remaining at 5.98%,6.52%,and 6.79%under different rolling reductions(10%,30%,and 50%),respectively.The nucleation ofδphase mainly occurs on different sites(grain boundaries,new twin boundaries and old twin boundaries)under 10%rolling reduction,whileδphase mainly nucleates on the new grain boundaries of static recrystallization due to 50%rolling reduction.And the growth ofδphase undergoes a process of alternate orientation growth from spherical(nucleation)→short rod(longitudinal orientation growth)→short rod(radial orientation growth)→dynamic equilib-rium.Under 10%rolling reduction,δphase tends to grow into the matrix,while under 50%rolling reduction,the orientation grows faster and is easily affected by the grain boundary curvature.

Effect of rotation angle on surface morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Inconel 718 alloy fabricated by high power laser powder bed fusion

Rotation angle of the laser scan direction between two adjacent layers is a key controlling parameter during the high-power (≥ 1 kW) laser powder bed fusion (HP-LPBF) process. This study investigates the influences of rotation angles (θ = 0°, 45°, 90°, 105°) on the surface morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Inconel 718 (IN718) alloy produced by HP-LPBF. Results show that adopting low rotation angles (e.g., 0° and 45°) is prone to relatively poor surface finish and lack-of-fusion defects, whereas adopting high rotation angles (e.g., 90° and 105°) induces smaller surface roughness and better relative density. Each case reveals a noticeable edge effect but the maximal heights witness a downward trend with the increase of rotation angle. There are some minor differences in the primary dendrite arm spacing and grain morphology by varying the rotation angles. Moreover, the tensile property is slightly enhanced as the rotation angle increases. The present work suggests that high rotation angles like 90° and 105° would probably be more favorable for the 1 kW HP-LPBF process than rotation angles with relatively low values.

Phase-field simulation of lack-of-fusion defect and grain growth during laser powder bed fusion of Inconel 718

The anisotropy of the structure and properties caused by the strong epitaxial growth of grains during laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)significantly affects the mechanical performance of Inconel 718 alloy components such as turbine disks.The defects(lack-of-fusion Lo F)in components processed via L-PBF are detrimental to the strength of the alloy.The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of laser scanning parameters on the epitaxial grain growth and LoF formation in order to obtain the parameter space in which the microstructure is refined and LoF defect is suppressed.The temperature field of the molten pool and the epitaxial grain growth are simulated using a multiscale model combining the finite element method with the phase-field method.The LoF model is proposed to predict the formation of LoF defects resulting from insufficient melting during L-PBF.Defect mitigation and grain-structure control during L-PBF can be realized simultaneously in the model.The simulation shows the input laser energy density for the as-deposited structure with fine grains and without LoF defects varied from 55.0–62.5 J·mm^(-3)when the interlayer rotation angle was 0°–90°.The optimized process parameters(laser power of 280 W,scanning speed of 1160 mm·s^(-1),and rotation angle of 67°)were computationally screened.In these conditions,the average grain size was 7.0μm,and the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength at room temperature were(1111±3)MPa and(820±7)MPa,respectively,which is 8.8%and10.5%higher than those of reported.The results indicating the proposed multiscale computational approach for predicting grain growth and Lo F defects could allow simultaneous grain-structure control and defect mitigation during L-PBF.

Microstructure and mechanical properties in the TLP joint of FeCoNiTiAl and Inconel 718 alloys using BNi2 filler

High entropy alloy(HEA) of Fe Co Ni Ti Al and Inconel 718 superalloy were firstly transient liquid phase(TLP) bonded by BNi2 filler due to the diffusion of Si and B in the filler to the base metals. The effects of bonding time on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the TLP joints were investigated.Owing to the complete isothermal solidification of the joints bonded for 30 min 120 min at 1100°C,no athermally solidified zones(ASZs) formed by eutectic phases were observed in the welded zone. Thus the TLP joints were only composed by the isothermally solidified zone(ISZ) and two diffusion affected zone(DAZ) adjacent to the dissimilar base metals and the negative effect of the ASZ on joint properties can be avoided. In addition, the increase of the bonding time can also make the Ti B2 borides precipitated in the DAZ near HEA and the brittle borides or carbides in the DAZ near IN718 alloy decrease and reduce the possibility of the stress concentration happened in the joints under loading. Therefore, the highest shear strength(632.1 MPa) of the TLP joints was obtained at 1100°C for 120 min, which was higher than that of the joint bonded for 30 min, 404.2 MPa. Furthermore, the extension of the bonding time made the fracture mechanism of the joint be transformed from the intergranular fracture to the transgranular fracture. However, as the brittle borides in the DAZ near IN718 can not be eliminated completely and refining of grains also happened in such region, all the TLP joints fractured inner the DAZ near IN718 alloy.

Effects of current path on structure and segregation during electroslag remelting process of Inconel 718 alloy with same power input

Current-conductive mold was recently developed to extend electroslag remelting(ESR)functions to overcome some solidification defects by changing the current path.The macrostructures,microstructures,macrosegregation,and microsegregation of the Inconel 718 ingots produced by the custom laboratory-scale ESR furnace under different current paths(the classical ESR and the single power,and two circuits ESR process with current-conductive mold(ESR-STCCM))with the same power input were compared and investigated.The results indicate that when the ingot was produced during ESR and ESR-STCCM processes,at the same power input,the pool depth was 104 and 90 mm,respectively.A flatter and shallower molten pool was obtained during ESR-STCCM process.Moreover,compared with a classical ESR ingot,the cooling rate of the centerline of ESR-STCCM ingot was increased from 12.7 to 16.7 K min^(−1).The increased cooling rates caused by decreased melting rate and thinner slag skin reduced the growth angle of columnar crystal to the vertical axis and the secondary dendrite arm spacing.Furthermore,the macrosegregation and microsegregation of segregation elements for ESR-STCCM process were dramatically reduced compared with ESR process.The average volume fraction of Laves phase was reduced from 7.39%to 6.14%,and the segregation of Nb in Laves phase was significantly reduced.

Interfacial reaction mechanism of TiBw/Ti6Al4V composites and Inconel 718 alloys by GTAW heat transmission

A good joint of Ti Bw/Ti6Al4V composites and Inconel 718 alloys was obtained by Gas Tungsten Arc Welding(GTAW) heat transmission. The interfacial reaction mechanism of joint was investigated and analyzed in details. Owing to the heat input applied on the surface of Ti Bw/Ti6Al4V composites, a solid-state reaction layer appeared at the interface of Ti Bw/Ti6Al4 V composites to Inconel 718 alloys. The thickness of the reaction layer was obviously increased with increasing heat input.Developing of reaction layer mainly depended on the diffusion of elements of Ti and Ni through the interface during welding to form solid solutions and intermetallic compounds(IMCs). The reaction layer can be divided into Ti-rich zone(layer 2) and Nirich zone(layer 1). In Ni-rich zone, relatively coarse dendrites were the predominant, however, more brittle IMCs like Ti2Ni were found in the Ti-rich zone. Micro hardness of reaction layer was much higher than that of base metal. While a slight decrease of hardness was found between Ti-rich zone and Ni-rich zone due to the formation of TiNi.

Mechanical and microstructural characterization of additive manufactured Inconel 718 alloy by selective laser melting and laser metal deposition

The direct comparison of the microstructure and tensile properties of Inconel 718 fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) or laser metal deposition (LMD) has been carried out. In the as-built state, LMD-fabricated specimens show lower tensile yield strength and fracture elongation than SLM-fabricated specimens due to the coarser solidification microstructure, including grains, cellular dendrites and Laves phases. This is mainly because the cooling rate of the LMD process is 2 to 3 orders lower than that of the SLM process. Upon the same heat treatment, both yield strengths of SLMand LMD-fabricated specimens are enhanced significantly. Notably, LMD-fabricated specimens exhibit simultaneous improvement in the strength and ductility, which is mainly attributed to the presence of small granular Laves phases and uniformly distributed nanoscale c00 strengthening phases. The results could serve as a guidance for selecting suitable postheat treatment routes for specific additive manufacturing process to attain excellent strength-ductility synergy.

Introduction of a New Method for Regulating Laves Phases in Inconel 718 Superalloy during a Laser-Repairing Process

The morphology,size,and distribution of Laves phases have important influences on the mechanical properties of laser-repaired Inconel 718(IN718)superalloy.Due to the deterioration of the substrate zone,the Laves phase in the laser cladding zone of IN718 superalloy cannot be optimized by a hightemperature solution treatment.In this study,an in situ laser heat-treatment method was proposed to regulate the morphology and size of the Laves phase in the laser cladding zone of IN718 superalloy without impacting the substrate zone.In the in situ laser heat-treatment process,a laser was used to heat previously deposited layers with optimized manufacturing parameters.A thermocouple and an infrared camera were used to analyze thermal cycles and real-time temperature fields,respectively.Microstructures and micro-segregations were observed by optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and electron probe microanalysis.It was found that the in situ laser heat treatment effectively changed the morphology and size of the Laves phase,which was transformed from a continuous striplike shape to a discrete granular shape.The effective temperature range and duration were the two main factors influencing the Laves phase during the in situ laser heat-treatment process.The effective temperature range was determined by the laser linear energy density,and the peak temperature increased with the increase of the linear energy density.In addition,the temperature amplitude could be reduced by simultaneously increasing the laser power and the scanning velocity.Finally,a flow diagram was developed based on the in situ laser heat-treatment process,and the deposition of a single-walled sample with fine and granular Laves phases was detected.

Influence of laser parameters on segregation of Nb during selective laser melting of Inconel 718

A transient three-dimensional powder-scale model was established for understanding the flow field and mass transfer within the molten pool during the selective laser melting(SLM)of Inconel 718 alloy by considering some important physical phenomena,such as,a transition from powder to solid,nonlinearities produced by temperature-dependent materials’properties,and fluid flow in the calculation.The influence of laser power or scanning speed on the flow field and cooling rate was discussed in detail.The simulation results reveal that the motion of molten pool and higher cooling rate promote the mass transfer and benefit the solute distribution by increasing laser power.However,with increasing the scanning speed,the melt flow speed and cooling rate are elevated,resulting in an agglomeration of the solute elements,which is ascribed to the shorter dwelling time of liquid.Therefore,the segregation of Nb can be effectively suppressed by increasing laser power or decreasing scanning speed,which can decrease the dwelling time of liquid.

Development of a new high-shear and low-pressure grinding wheel and its grinding characteristics for Inconel718 alloy

Nickel-based alloy has been widely used due to its outstanding mechanical properties.However, Nickel-based alloy is a typical difficult-to-machine material, which is a great constrain for its application in the manufacturing field. To improve the surface quality of the ground workpiece, a new high-shear and low-pressure grinding wheel, with high ratio of tangential grinding force to normal grinding force, was fabricated for the grinding of selective laser melting(SLM) manufactured Inconel718 alloy. The principle of high-shear and low-pressure grinding process was introduced in detail, which was quite different from the conventional grinding process. The fabrication process of the new grinding wheel was illustrated. A serial of experiments with different processing parameters were carried out to investigate the grinding performance of the developed grinding wheel via analyzing surface roughness and surface morphology of the ground workpiece.The optimal processing parameters of high-shear and low-pressure grinding were obtained. The surface roughness of ground workpiece was reduced to 0.232 μm from the initial value of 0.490 μm under the optimal grinding conditions. It was found that the initial scratches on the ground workpiece were almost completely removed after the observations with the metalloscopy and the fieldemission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM). The capability of the newly developed highshear and low-pressure grinding wheel was validated.