Optimization of the heat treatment of additively manufactured Ni-base superalloy IN718

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) of Ni-base superalloy components can lead to a significant reduction of weight in aerospace applications. AM of IN718 by selective laser melting results in a very fine dendritic microstructure with a high dislocation density due to the fast solidification process. The complex phase composition of this alloy, with three different types of precipitates and high residual stresses, necessitates adjustment of the conventional heat treatment for AM parts. To find an optimized heat treatment, the microstructures and mechanical properties of differently solution heat-treated samples were investigated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, including electron backs-catter diffraction, and compression tests. After a solution heat treatment (SHT), the Nb-rich Laves phase dissolves and the dislocation density is reduced, which eliminates the dendritic substructure. SHT at 930 or 954°C leads to the precipitation of the δ-phase, which reduces the volume fraction of the strengthening γ′- and γ″-phases formed during the subsequent two stage aging treatment. With a higher SHT temperature of 1000°C, where no δ-phase is precipitated, higher γ′ and γ″ volume fractions are achieved, which results in the optimum strength of all of the solution heat treated conditions

Rotating Scan Strategy Induced Anisotropic Microstructural and Mechanical Behavior of Selective Laser Melted Materials and Their Reduction by Heat Treatments

Choosing a properly optimized rotating scan strategy during the selective laser melting (SLM) process is essential to reduce residual stresses and thus to obtain homogeneous properties. Surprisingly, anisotropic material properties are found in several materials that are built with the often applied rotating stripes scan strategy of Electro‐Optical Systems (EOS) because the scan strategy avoids possible interactions of the laser beam with process by‐products and therefore excludes a range of scanning directions. Herein, the alloys Hastelloy X, Inconel 718, and stainless steel 316L are investigated. Vertically built specimens with a cylindrical gauge geometry show an oval deformation during tensile testing, indicating a mechanical anisotropy in the horizontal x‐ and y‐direction. Tensile tests along the x‐ and y‐direction reveal a deviation of the yield strength of 7% for Hastelloy X. Analyses of the microstructures show differences in the grain morphology, size, and texture in all three coordinate planes of the three materials. This anisotropic behavior can be explained by a detailed study of the texture and the calculated Schmid factors. Heat treatments can reduce the textural and mechanical anisotropy due to recrystallization of grains but requires annealing at sufficiently high temperatures and long times

Temperature Dependent Dynamic Strain Ageing in Selective Laser Melted 316L

Additively manufactured austenitic stainless steel AISI 316L (EN 1.4404, X2CrNiMo17‐12‐2) is used at higher temperatures, e.g., in space applications. However, the high‐temperature properties of such materials have not been analyzed in detail yet. Thus, selective laser melted (SLM) 316L is tested in the solution‐annealed condition by compression and tensile tests at temperatures between 25 and 877 °C. The compressive strength of SLM 316L is higher in comparison with the conventionally produced reference material due to hardening by a high dislocation density and a fine substructure. However, tensile tests reveal a loss in ductility of the SLM material at temperatures between 300 and 627 °C, where the elongation to fracture is reduced from 65% to 39%. Alloying elements cause serrated yielding in the affected temperature range. Together with an increased normalized work‐hardening rate and a negative strain rate sensitivity, dynamic strain aging is found to cause the reduction of ductility