Additive Manufacturing of Inconel 718 using Electron Beam Melting: Processing, Post-Processing, & Mechanical Properties

Additive Manufacturing (AM) process parameters were studied for production of the high temperature alloy Inconel 718 using Electron Beam Melting (EBM) to better understand the relationship between processing, microstructure, and mechanical properties. Processing parameters were analyzed for impact on process time, process temperature, and the amount of applied energy. The applied electron beam energy was shown to be integral to the formation of swelling defects. Standard features in the microstructure were identified, including previously unidentified solidification features such as shrinkage porosity and non-equilibrium phases. The as-solidified structure does not persist in the bulk of EBM parts due to a high process hold temperature (~1000°C), which causes in situ homogenization. The most significant variability in as-fabricated microstructure is the formation of intragranular delta-phase needles, which can form in samples produced with lower process temperatures (< 960°C). A novel approach was developed and demonstrated for controlling the temperature of cool down, thus providing a technique for in situ heat treatment of material. This technique was used to produce material with hardness of 478±7 HV with no post-processing, which exceeds the hardness of peak-aged Inconel 718. Traditional post-processing methods of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and solution treatment and aging (STA) were found to result in variability in grain growth and phase solution. Recrystallization and grain structure are identified as possible mechanisms to promote grain growth. These results led to the conclusion that the first step in thermal post-processing of EBM Inconel 718 should be an optimized solution treatment to reset phase variation in the as-fabricated microstructure without incurring significant grain growth. Such an optimized solution treatment was developed (1120°C, 2hr) for application prior to aging or HIP. The majority of as-fabricated tensile properties met ASTM AM Inconel 718 standards for yield stress and ultimate tensile strength, and STA yield stress, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation exceeded the ASTM standards for AM Inconel 718

URANIUM METAL POWDER PRODUCTION, PARTICLE DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS, AND REACTION RATE STUDIES OF A HYDRIDE-DEHYDRIDE PROCESS

Work was done to study a hydride-dehydride method for producing uranium metal powder. Particle distribution analysis was conducted using digital microscopy and grayscale image analysis software. The particle size was found to be predominantly in the 40 μm range, which agreed with previous work. The effects of temperature, pressure, and time on the reaction fraction of powder were measured by taking experimental data. The optimum hydride temperature for the system was found to be 233.4°C. Higher gas pressures resulted in higher reaction fractions, over the range studied. For the sample parameters studied, a time of 371 minutes was calculated to achieve complete powderization. System design parameters for commercialization are proposed

Barriers to Inclusion at International Schools

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Elizabeth L. Sames on June 7, 2023

Antiresonance phase shift in strongly coupled cavity QED

We investigate phase shifts in the strong coupling regime of single-atom cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED). On the light transmitted through the system, we observe a phase shift associated with an antiresonance and show that both its frequency and width depend solely on the atom, despite the strong coupling to the cavity. This shift is optically controllable and reaches 140 degrees - the largest ever reported for a single emitter. Our result offers a new technique for the characterization of complex integrated quantum circuits.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure