Inconel 718 is a precipitation hardening nickel-based superalloy powder that exhibits excellent high temperature corrosion resistance in space jet engine and land-based gas turbine applications. It has a strong mechanical strength, excellent ductility up to 704°C / 1300°F, and is inherently non-magnetic.

In addition, Inconel 718 is suitable for a wide range of additive manufacturing (AM) processes and can be used to print large parts using a laser-based sintering process. The material has a low permeability and is resistant to heat treatments during the sintering process.

The powder was characterized by microscopic examination with a EVO MA25 microscope (Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen, Germany). Metallographic samples were obtained and their hardness was determined by Vickers hardness measurements at 0.98 N.

Static flow properties of the IN718 powder were evaluated according to ASTM B213 standards. A 50 g mass of each powder was weighed and gently poured into a Hall flowmeter funnel to obtain the average Hall flow rate. The discharge orifice was opened to let the powder flow naturally, and a timing device was started simultaneously to record the flow duration.

Particle size distribution and surface texture were analyzed by means of laser-scattering measurement techniques, with a HORIBA LA-960 laser particle size analyzer (HORIBA, Lubeck, Germany). Each powder was screened for a total of 5 minutes in order to obtain the most representative results.

The chemical composition of all powder states was similar, and the content of H, N, Al, Cr and C did not exceed the limit values of ASTM B637. Oxygen, however, was present in the spatter powder, and aluminum oxide spots were found on the surface of some of the spatter particles.

tags: Semiconductors semiconductor industry