Session: 18-01: Additive Manufacturing I

Paper Number: 152015

Optimizing Mechanical Performance of LPBF Inconel 718 for Turboengine Applications Through Tailored Heat Treatment and Process Parameter Strategies 

Additive manufacturing using, e.g., Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) offers the capability to produce structurally complex components rapidly and cost-effectively while maintaining high quality. However, for highly demanding aerospace applications such as turbine and combustion chamber components, ensuring optimal material performance requires a thorough understanding of the relationship between the manufacturing process, thermomechanical treatments, microstructure, and resulting mechanical properties.

This study focuses on Inconel 718, a nickel-based superalloy suitable for laser additive manufacturing that is being used in aerospace due to its good high-temperature properties. While IN 718 has a lower maximum operating temperature (600-650°C) compared to newer alloys, it remains a well-understood, cost-effective choice. Various heat treatment strategies, including dual aging and hot isostatic pressing, were applied to LPBF-manufactured Inconel 718 to assess their impact on phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical performance. Synchrotron high-energy diffraction analysis was used to analyze phase evolution, while mechanical properties were tested on cylindrical specimens fabricated at relevant build orientations.

The findings reveal a strong correlation between the optimized process parameters, post-processing methods, microstructure and texture, phase distribution, and mechanical strength. This research provides valuable insights for defining tailored process chains aimed at improving material performance in specific aerospace applications, ensuring both structural integrity and efficiency in extreme operating conditions.

Presenting Author: Galina Kasperovich Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany

Presenting Author Biography: Researcher at the German Space Centre, main focus is additive manufacturing, e.g. Laser Powder Bed Fusion, methods of optimisation, structural analysis and numerical modelling of processes and phase transformation.

Authors:

Galina Kasperovich Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
Joachim Gussone Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
Yasuko Besel Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
Marion Bartsch Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
Jan Haubrich Institute of Materials Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany