Comparative characterization of nickel-base superalloys fabricated by laser and electron beam melting technologies
Abstract
Nickel-base superalloys have been used in cast and wrought, and powder metallurgy forms for nearly four decades for industrial and automotive applications. One drawback of cast alloys is that upon solidification, there is minimal microstructural control. Another issue to be improved is to eliminate the limitations of shapes and forms of fabricated alloys. Rapid prototyping is a new technology of additive manufacturing that shows to be promising for the freeform fabrication of novel superalloys, including nickel-base alloys. New rapid manufacturing technologies allow us to produce parts in any shape that can be designed by computer-aided design (CAD) software. Additionally, the microstructure can be controlled by adjusting build parameters during fabrication. Components made from Inconel 718 pre-alloyed powder have been fabricated by selective laser melting in two different orientations. These components, built in the transverse and longitudinal directions, parallel and perpendicular to the build direction, respectively, have been compared. Inconel 625 and has been fabricated by electron beam and selective laser melting. The two processes have been compared to each other as well as to their respective cast and wrought alloys. Microstructural characterization has been conducted using optical metallography, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Mechanical properties have been analyzed by Vickers microhardness, macrohardness, and tensile testing.
Subject Area
Mechanical engineering|Materials science
Recommended Citation
Amato, Krista Naomi, "Comparative characterization of nickel-base superalloys fabricated by laser and electron beam melting technologies" (2013). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI3565891.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI3565891