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Multimodal γ′ precipitation in Inconel-738 Ni-based superalloy during electron-beam powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

  • Metals & corrosion
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Abstract

Additive manufacturing is a promising alternative method for fabricating components of Ni-based superalloys which are difficult to cast, form and join. However, typical thermal cycles associated with laser powder bed-fusion techniques suppress the formation of desirable microstructures containing γ′ particles, necessitating long-time post-process heat treatments. Here we report in-situ precipitation of γ′ (L12-ordered) particles and carbides during electron-beam powder bed-fusion of Inconel-738. The γ′ particles are homogenously distributed across the build and exhibit a multimodal size distribution. Based on atom-probe microscopy, we propose a eutectic reaction and multiple nucleation, growth, coarsening and dissolution bursts during thermal cycling as formation mechanism.

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Acknowledgements

Funding by the AUSMURI program, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australia is acknowledged. Sample was kindly provided by Miss Sabina Kumar, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A/Prof. Sophie Primig is supported under the Australian Research Council’s DECRA (project number DE180100440) and the UNSW Scientia Fellowship schemes. The authors acknowledge the technical assistance and use of facilities supported by Microscopy Australia at the Electron Microscope Unit at the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre at UNSW and Sydney Microscopy & Microanalysis at the University of Sydney. The research at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is partly sponsored by the ONR award number N00014-18–1-2794. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ONR. Part of the research at Oak-Ridge National Lab was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science & Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Nima Haghdadi, Edward Whitelock & Sophie Primig

  2. Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Bryan Lim, Hansheng Chen, Xiaozhou Liao & Simon P. Ringer

  3. School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Bryan Lim, Hansheng Chen, Xiaozhou Liao & Simon P. Ringer

  4. Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37932, USA

    Sudarsanam S. Babu

  5. Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Sudarsanam S. Babu

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  1. Nima Haghdadi
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  2. Edward Whitelock
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  3. Bryan Lim
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  4. Hansheng Chen
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  5. Xiaozhou Liao
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  6. Sudarsanam S. Babu
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  7. Simon P. Ringer
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  8. Sophie Primig
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Correspondence to Nima Haghdadi or Sophie Primig.

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Haghdadi, N., Whitelock, E., Lim, B. et al. Multimodal γ′ precipitation in Inconel-738 Ni-based superalloy during electron-beam powder bed fusion additive manufacturing. J Mater Sci 55, 13342–13350 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04915-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04915-w

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