The Effect of γ and δ Phase Precipitation on the Mechanical Properties of Inconel 718 Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting: An In Situ Neutron Diffraction and Acoustic Emission Study

The deformation behavior of additively manufactured Alloy 718 in as-built condition and after annealing was studied in situ under tensile loading along the build direction. Pre-characterization by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy revealed a significant amount of gamma '' precipitates in the as-built samples, whereas the gamma '' phase was entirely consumed and needle-like delta precipitates appeared in the annealed sample. In situ neutron diffraction (ND) and acoustic emission (AE) enabled indirect observation of the role of the precipitates on the mechanical behavior. ND provided information on the load accommodation in the matrix, while AE detected a strong signal from the interaction of dislocations with the delta-phase precipitates during deformation of the annealed samples. The results imply that in the annealed samples the matrix sheds the load to the precipitates, while in the as-built material the matrix bares a significant load.

Automated summary

The deformation behavior of additively manufactured Alloy 718 in both as-built condition and after annealing was studied, showing that in annealed samples, the load is shed to the precipitates by the matrix, while in the as-built material, the matrix bears a significant load.