The development of power industry obligates designers, materials engineers to create and implement new, advanced materials, in which Inconel 617 alloy is included. Nowadays, there are a lot of projects which describe microstructure and properties of Inconel 617 alloy. However, the welded joints from mentioned material is not yet fully discussed in the literature. The description of welded joints microstructure is a main knowledge source for designers, constructors and welding engineers in estimating durability process and degradation assessment for elements and devices with welds of Inconel 617 alloy. This paper presents the analysis and assessment of advanced nickel alloy welded joints, which have been done by tungsten inert gas (TIG). Investigations have included analysis made by light microscope and scanning electron microscope. The disclosed precipitates were identified with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) microanalysis, then it were done X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) phases analysis. To confirm the obtained results, a scanning-transmission electron microscope (STEM) analysis was also performed.
The purpose of the article was to create a comprehensive procedure for revealing the Inconel 617 alloy structure. The methodology presented in this article will be in future a great help for constructors, material specialists and welding engineers in assessing the structure and durability of the Inconel 617 alloy.
Nickel alloys, despite their good strength properties at high temperature, are characterized by limited weldability due to their susceptibility to hot cracking. So far, theories describing the causes of hot cracking have focused on the presence of impurities in the form of sulphur and phosphorus. These elements form low-melting eutectic mixtures that cause discontinuities, most frequently along solid solution grain boundaries, under the influence of welding deformations. Progress in metallurgy has effectively reduced the presence of sulphur and phosphorus compounds in the material, however, the phenomenon of hot cracking continues to be the main problem during the welding of nickel-based alloys. It was determined that nickel-based alloys, including Inconel 617, show a tendency towards hot cracking within the high-temperature brittleness range (HTBR). There is no information on any structural changes occurring in the HTBR. Moreover, the literature indicates no correlations between material-related factors connected with structural changes and the amount of energy delivered into the material during welding.
This article presents identification of correlations between these factors contributes to the exploration of the mechanism of hot cracking in solid-solution strengthened alloys with an addition of cobalt (e.g. Inconel 617). The article was ended with development of hot cracking model for Ni-Cr-Mo-Co alloys.
Inconel 713C precision castings are used as aircraft engine components exposed to high temperatures and the aggressive exhaust gas
environment. Industrial experience has shown that precision-cast components of such complexity contain casting defects like
microshrinkage, porosity, and cracks. This necessitates the development of repair technologies for castings of this type. This paper
presents the results of metallographic examinations of melted areas and clad welds on the Inconel 713C nickel-based superalloy, made by
TIG, plasma arc, and laser. The cladding process was carried out on model test plates in order to determine the technological and materialrelated
problems connected with the weldability of Inconel 713C. The studies included analyses of the macro- and microstructure of the
clad welds, the base materials, and the heat-affected zones. The results of the structural analyses of the clad welds indicate that Inconel
713C should be classified as a low-weldability material. In the clad welds made by laser, cracks were identified mainly in the heat-affected
zone and at the melted zone interface, crystals were formed on partially-melted grains. Cracks of this type were not identified in the clad
welds made using the plasma-arc method. It has been concluded that due to the possibility of manual cladding and the absence of welding
imperfections, the technology having the greatest potential for application is plasma-arc cladding.
Inconel 713C alloy belongs to the group of materials with high application potential in the aerospace industry. This nickel alloy has excellent features such as high strength, good surface stability, high creep and corrosion resistance. The paper presents the results of metallographic examinations of a base material and padding welds made by laser beam on the Inconel 713C alloy. The tests were made on precisely cast test plates imitating low - pressure turbine blades dedicated for the aerospace industry. Observations of the macro- and microstructure of the padding welds, heat-affected zone and base material indicate, that the Inconel 713C alloy should be classified as a hard-to-weld material. In the investigated joint, cracking of the material is disclosed mainly in the heat-affected zone and at the melted zone interface, where pad weld crystals formed on partially melted grains. The results show that phases rich with chromium and molybdenum were formed by high temperature during welding process, which was confirmed by EDS analysis of chemical composition.
Nickel-based alloys are widely used in industries such as the aircraft industry, chemicals, power generation, and others. Their stable mechanical properties in combination with high resistance to aggressive environments at high temperatures make these materials suitable for the production of components of devices and machines intended for operation in extremely difficult conditions, e.g. in aircraft engines. This paper presents the results of thermal and mechanical tests performed on precision castings made of the Inconel 713C alloy and intended for use in the production of low pressure turbine blades. The tests enabled the determination of the nil strength temperature (NST), the nil ductility temperature (NDT), and the ductility recovery temperature (DRT) of the material tested. Based on the values obtained, the high temperature brittleness range (HTBR) and the hot cracking resistance index were determined. Metallographic examinations were conducted in order to describe the cracking mechanisms. It was found that the main cracking mechanism was the partial melting of grains and subsequently the rupture of a thin liquid film along crystal boundaries as a result of deformation during crystallisation. Another cracking mechanism identified was the DDC (Ductility Dip Cracking) mechanism. The results obtained provide a basis for improving precision casting processes for aircraft components and constitute guidelines for designers, engineers, and casting technologists.