Inconel 718 powder plays an important role in additive manufacturing processes. Its properties include good mechanical strength at elevated temperatures, corrosion resistance, and fatigue strength. Because of its high weldability, it is widely used in aerospace and gas turbine applications. In this study, four states of powder were investigated to investigate the influence of degradation on powder properties. The characteristics of the four powders were compared and characterized in terms of flowability, morphology, and physicochemical properties.

Laser diffraction analysis was carried out on powder particles. Particle size distributions were determined for each particle. These were then used to calculate the equivalent projected area of each particle. All the particles were found to have similar morphology, with only minor variations.

Flowability of the four states was measured using a HORIBA LA-960 laser particle size analyzer. The particle size distribution of virgin and recycled powder was then compared. This was done to identify the degradation levels after repeated use.

A series of microscopic images were taken of the powder to characterize the morphology and size distribution of the powder. An EVO MA25 microscope with an EDS detector was used to obtain these images.

Using the ImageJ 1.53a software, microscopic images of each particle were analyzed to evaluate its shape, texture, and internal defect. Oxidation spots were also observed. Most of the spatter particles showed no oxide spots, with the exception of a small number of particles with a thick oxidized layer on the surface.

tags: Calcium nitride powder