A Flow Stress Model of 300M Steel for Isothermal Tension

To investigate the effect of hot working parameters on the flow behavior of 300M steel under tension, hot uniaxial tensile tests were implemented under different temperatures (950 °C, 1000 °C, 1050 °C, 1100 °C, 1150 °C) and strain rates (0.01 s⁻¹, 0.1 s⁻¹, 1 s⁻¹, 10 s⁻¹). Compared with uniaxial compression, the tensile flow stress was 29.1% higher because dynamic recrystallization softening was less sufficient in the tensile stress state. The ultimate elongation of 300M steel increased with the decrease of temperature and the increase of strain rate. To eliminate the influence of sample necking on stress-strain relationship, both the stress and the strain were calibrated using the cross-sectional area of the neck zone. A constitutive model for tensile deformation was established based on the modified Arrhenius model, in which the model parameters (n, α, Q, ln(A)) were described as a function of strain. The average deviation was 6.81 MPa (6.23%), showing good accuracy of the constitutive model.     

Semi-Empirical Prediction of Turned Surface Residual Stress for Inconel 718 Grounded in Experiments and Finite Element Simulations

The surface residual stress after machining, especially for finishing, has a vital influence on the shape stability and fatigue life of components. The current study focuses on proposing an original empirical equation to predict turned surface residual stress for Inconel 718 material, taking tool parameters into consideration. The tool cutting-edge angle, rake angle, and inclination angle are introduced for the first time in the equation based on the Inconel 718 material turning experiments and finite element simulations. In this study, the reliability of simulation parameters’ setting is firstly calibrated by comparing the residual stresses and chips of the experiments and simulations. The changing trends of turned forces, temperatures of lathe tool nose, and surface residual stress with turning parameters are analyzed. Then, the predictive equation of surface residual stress is proposed considering relationships between the back-rake angle, the side-rake angle, and the tool cutting-edge angle, rake angle, and inclination angle. Moreover, the genetic algorithm optimizes the objective function to obtain the undetermined coefficients in the prediction equation. Finally, the predicted accuracy of the surface residual stress is proven by comparing the experimental, simulation, and prediction values. The results indicate that the predictive equation of surface residual stress has a good accuracy in predicting turned surface residual stress for Inconel 718 materials. The correlation coefficient, R, and absolute average error between the predicted and the simulated value are 0.9624 and 13.40%, respectively. In the range of cutting parameters studied and experimental errors, this study provides an accurate predictive equation of turned surface residual stress for Inconel 718 materials.     

Temperature-Based Prediction of Joint Hardness in TIG Welding of Inconel 600, 625 and 718 Nickel Superalloys

Welding is an important process in terms of manufacturing components for various types of machines and structures. One of the vital and still unsolved issues is determining the quality and properties welded joint in an online manner. In this paper, a technique for prediction of joint hardness based on the sequence of thermogram acquired during welding process is proposed. First, the correspondence between temperature, welding linear energy and hardness was revealed and confirmed using correlation analysis. Using a linear regression model, relations between temperature and hardness were described. According to obtained results in the joint area, prediction error was as low as 1.25%, while for HAZ it exceeded 15%. Future work on optimizing model and input data for HAZ hardness prediction are planned.     

Thermal Processing Map and Microstructure Evolution of Inconel 625 Alloy Sheet Based on Plane Strain Compression Deformation

Plane strain compression tests were used to study the deformation behavior of an Inconel 625 alloy sheet at various temperatures and strain rates. The peak stress was selected to establish the constitutive equation, and the processing maps under different strains were drawn. The results show that the effective stress–strain curve of Inconel 625 has typical dynamic recrystallization (DRX) characteristics. With the increasing deformation temperature and the decreasing strain rate, the softening effect is significantly enhanced. The parameters of the constitutive equation are calculated, and the average error of the constitutive equation is 5.68%. Through the analysis of the processing map, a deformation temperature of 950–960 °C with a strain rate of 0.007–0.05 s⁻¹ were determined as the unstable region, and obvious local plastic-rheological zones were found in the unstable region. The optimum deformation condition was found to be 1020–1060 °C/0.005–0.03 s⁻¹. Through electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) characterization, it was found that both the increase of temperature and the decrease of strain rate significantly promote the recrystallization process. At a low strain rate, the main recrystallization mechanism is discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX). It is expected that the above results can provide references for the optimization of the rolling process and microstructure control of an Inconel 625 alloy sheet.     

Investigation on the Microporosity Formation of IN718 Alloy during Laser Cladding Based on Cellular Automaton

Porosity is one of the most common defects in the laser cladding of Inconel 718 (IN718) alloy, which can reduce the strength and fatigue performance of the components. However, the dynamic formation of microporosity is challenging to observe through experiments directly. In order to explore the formation mechanism of porosities and dynamically reproduce the competitive growth between porosities and dendrite, a multi-scale numerical model was adopted, combined with a cellular automaton (CA) and finite element method (FEM). The decentered square algorithm was adopted to eliminate crystallographic anisotropy and simulate dendrite growth in different orientations. Afterward, based on the formation mechanism of microporosity during solidification, equiaxed and columnar dendrites with porosities were simulated, respectively. Dendrite morphology, porosity morphology, and distribution of solute concentration were obtained during the solidification process. The simulation results were reasonably compared with experimental data. The simulation results of the equiaxed crystal region are close to the experimental data, but the columnar crystal region has a relative error. Finally, the interaction effects of porosities and dendrites under different environmental conditions were discussed. The results suggested that with the increase in the cooling rate, the quantity of porosity nucleation increased and the porosity decreased.     

Method of Data Selection for Turning of Inconel 718 Alloy Obtained by Casting and Laser Sintering Powder

This article focuses on the issues related to the machining of DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) laser sintered parts made of Inconel 718 alloy. Longitudinal turning with CBN (cubic boron nitride) tool inserts is analyzed. The authors made an attempt to establish a procedure to find the optimal finishing cutting parameters while minimizing the specific cutting force and taking into account the machined surface quality criterion. During experiments the influence of cutting data on the values of cutting force and specific cutting force were performed. Moreover, the results of measurements of surface roughness parameters and the results of analysis of chip form are presented as well. Cast Inconel 718 has also been tested for comparative purposes. The variability of the material’s hardening state during machining was found, as well as the variability of the specific cutting force value as a function of the cross-sectional shape of the cutting layer. The values of all components of the total cutting force for turning the material obtained by the additive method are lower than for turning the cast material by approximately 32%. At the end of the article, the authors present an application of the proposed optimization algorithm. It was established that by changing the cross-section shape of the cutting layer, it was possible to perform the turning process at a specific cutting force value of 22% less, which is achieved by reducing the cross-section size.     

Drilling Force Characterization during Inconel 718 Drilling: A Comparative Study between Numerical and Analytical Approaches

In drilling operations, cutting forces are one of the major machinability indicators that contribute significantly towards the deviations in workpiece form and surface tolerances. The ability to predict and model forces in such operations is also essential as the cutting forces play a key role in the induced vibrations and wear on the cutting tool. More specifically, Inconel 718—a nickel-based super alloy that is primarily used in the construction of jet engine turbines, nuclear reactors, submarines and steam power plants—is the workpiece material used in the work presented here. In this study, both mechanistic and finite element models were developed. The finite element model uses the power law that has the ability to incorporate strain hardening, strain rate sensitivity as well as thermal softening phenomena in the workpiece materials. The model was validated by comparing it against an analytical mechanistic model that considers the three drilling stages associated with the drilling operation on a workpiece containing a pilot hole. Both analytical and FE models were compared and the results were found to be in good agreement at different cutting speeds and feed rates. Comparing the average forces of stage II and stage III of the two approaches revealed a discrepancy of 11% and 7% at most. This study can be utilized in various virtual drilling scenarios to investigate the influence of different process and geometric parameters.     

Suitability of Laser Engineered Net Shaping Technology for Inconel 625 Based Parts Repair Process

In this paper, the Inconel 625 laser clads characterized by microstructural homogeneity due to the application of the Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS, Optomec, Albuquerque, NM, USA) technology were studied in detail. The optimized LENS process parameters (laser power of 550 W, powder flow rate of 19.9 g/min, and heating of the substrate to 300 °C) enabled to deposit defect-free laser cladding. Additionally, the laser clad was applied in at least three layers on the repairing place. The deposited laser clads were characterized by slightly higher mechanical properties in comparison to the Inconel 625 substrate material. Microscopic observations and X-ray Tomography (XRT, Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) confirmed, that the substrate and cladding interface zone exhibited a defect-free structure. Mechanical properties and flexural strength of the laser cladding were examined using microhardness and three-point bending tests. It was concluded, that the LENS technology could be successfully applied for the repair since a similar strain distribution was found after Digital Image Correlation measurements during three-point bending tests.     

Transformation-Induced Relaxation and Stress Recovery of TiNi Shape Memory Alloy

The transformation-induced stress relaxation and stress recovery of TiNi shape memory alloy (SMA) in stress-controlled subloop loading were investigated based on the local variation in temperature and transformation band on the surface of the tape in the tension test. The results obtained are summarized as follows. (1) In the loading process, temperature increases due to the exothermic martensitic transformation (MT) until the holding strain and thereafter temperature decreases while holding the strain constant, resulting in stress relaxation due to the MT; (2) In the unloading process, temperature decreases due to the endothermic reverse transformation until the holding strain and thereafter temperature increases while holding the strain constant, resulting in stress recovery due to the reverse transformation; (3) Stress varies markedly in the initial stage followed by gradual change while holding the strain constant; (4) If the stress rate is high until the holding strain in the loading and unloading processes, both stress relaxation and stress recovery are large; (5) It is important to take into account this behavior in the design of SMA elements, since the force of SMA elements varies even if the atmospheric temperature is kept constant.     

Effect of Tensile Deformation on Residual Stress of GH4169 Alloy

In order to reduce the residual stress of the GH4169 alloy, the effect and micro-mechanism of the tensile deformation were studied. The residual stress, dislocation density, and distribution of the GH4169 alloy were analyzed by X-ray residual stress tester, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results show that: with the increase of tensile deformation, the residual stress relief first increases and then decreases. When the tensile deformation is 3%, the reduction rate of residual stress reaches the maximum, which is 90%. The mechanism of residual stress relief by the tensile treatment is that the dislocation group in the alloy is activated by tensile treatment, and the dislocation distribution in the alloy is more uniform by dislocation movement, multiplication, and annihilation so that the residual stress can be eliminated.     

A Flow Stress Model of the AA3104-H19 Alloy for the FEM Simulation of the Beverage Can Manufacturing Process under Large Plastic Deformations

This paper discusses the development of a flow stress model to simulate the AA3104-H19 alloy under the conditions of large plastic deformations characteristic of the beverage can manufacturing process. This study focuses on the first five steps of this process: cupping, redrawing, ironing #1, ironing #2, ironing #3. These are the stages that reduce the thickness of the base material to the maximum, resulting in an effective strain of more than 2.0, unattainable in conventional plastometric tests. To solve this problem, the specific calculation-experimental method for the development of the flow stress model was proposed. Based on the FEM modeling of the technological process, data on the history of deformation and the trajectory of movement of the selected points of the material at all stages of the production were obtained. Microspecimens for the tensile tests were taken from the points of the beverage can wall that were determined in this way. The initial strain of each sample was taken from the FEM simulation. In this way, the tensile curves were obtained for the material points at different stages of the production. The processing of these curves allowed the creation of a flow stress model for large strains, corresponding to production conditions. The tensile tests were performed on a Zwick Z250 machine at room temperature and strain rate of 0.005 s⁻¹. The FEM-based algorithm for the determination of empirical coefficients of the analytical flow stress model is presented. The final flow stress model covers the range of effective strain from 0–2. Validation of the developed model based on the measured beverage can thicknesses showed that a flow stress model was developed that correctly and accurately describes the forming process.     

Laser Metal Deposition of Inconel 718 Alloy and As-built Mechanical Properties Compared to Casting

In the last years, powder-based Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) has been attracting attention as a disruptive Additive Manufacturing (AM) technique for both the fabrication and restoration of Inconel 718 components, enabling to overcome current limitations faced by conventional manufacturing processes in terms of manufacturing costs, tool wear, and lead time. Nevertheless, the uncertainty related to the final mechanical performance of the as-built LMD parts limits a wider adoption of such technology at industrial level. This research work focuses on the mechanical characterization of as-built Inconel 718 specimens through split Hopkinson tensile bar tests performed at different strain rate conditions. The influence of laser power on the final mechanical behavior of the as-built tensile samples is discussed and compared with the mechanical response of as-cast ones. The as-built specimens exhibit a high internal density (i.e., 99.92% and 99.90% for 300 W and 400 W, respectively) and a more ductile behavior compared to the as-cast ones for every evaluated strain rate condition. The strain hardening capacity of the as-built samples increases with the laser power involved in the LMD process, reaching an average Yield Strength of 703 MPa for specimens realized at 400 W and tested at 800/s.     

Effect of Temperature Field and Stress Field of Different Crack Behavior on Twins and Dislocations under Mg Alloy Rolling

Aiming at the problem of the poor plasticity of magnesium alloy leading to serious edge cracks in the rolling process, this paper conducts a systematic study on the crack suppression mechanism of rolling under different thickness reductions. Using restricted rolling and conventional rolling, comparing the microstructure evolution of the plate after rolling, and combining the information of the simulated temperature field and stress field of the plates, the behavior of twins and dislocations under different thickness reductions is explained, and the influence of serious damage caused by single-pass hot rolling of magnesium alloy is explored. The compressive stress fields along with the transverse and normal directions under restricted rolling cause the compression twins to mature into secondary twins under rolling with small thickness reduction and induce a large number of tensile twins when the thickness reduction amount is increased. The multiple slips activated by the higher temperature field at the edge of the small thickness reduction amount cause dislocations to be distributed inside and outside the twins, while the edge with large thickness reduction can activate more slip due to the high-temperature field resulting from friction, resulting in the twin be destroyed.     

Research on the Relation between Slump Flow and Yield Stress of Ultra-High Performance Concrete Mixtures

The relation between slump flow and yield stress of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) mixtures was studied with theoretical analysis and experimentation. The relational expression between slump flow and yield stress of UHPC mixtures was built and then verified with a rheological test. The results showed that the prediction model, as a function of cone geometry of dimensionless slump flow and dimensionless yield stress of the UHPC mixtures, was constructed based on Tresca criteria, considering the geometric relation of morphological characterization parameters before and after slump of the UHPC mixtures. The rationality and applicability of the dimensionless prediction model was verified with a rheological test and a slump test of UHPC mixtures with different dosages of polycarboxylate superplasticizer. With increase in polycarboxylate superplasticizer dosage, yield stress of the two series of UHPC mixtures (large/small binding material consumption) gradually decreased, leading to a gradual increase in slump flow. Based on the prediction model of dimensionless slump flow and dimensionless yield stress, the relational expression between slump flow and yield stress of the UHPC mixtures was built. The comparison result showed that the calculated data was consistent with the experimental data, which provided a new method for predicting yield stress of UHPC mixtures with a slump test.     

Microstructure and Hardness of Spark Plasma Sintered Inconel 625-NbC Composites for High-Temperature Applications

The study focuses on obtaining Inconel 625-NbC composites for high-temperature applications, e.g., jet engines, waste-to-energy combusting systems or gas engine turbines, and characterizing them in terms of their microstructure and hardness improvement. Synthesis was performed utilizing Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) at 1150 °C under the load of 45 MPa in medium vacuum (under 10⁻³ MPa) for a total time of 60 min. Four sets of samples with different Inconel 625 to NbC weight ratios were prepared (5, 10, 20, and 30 wt.%), followed by a reference sample containing no ceramic reinforcement. Obtained materials were hot-rolled at 1150 °C with a 10% reduction step and later cut and polished to perform characterization utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) module and microhardness testing device equipped with Vickers indenter. Hardness was improved proportionally to NbC addition achieving an increase of up to 20% of reference values. Additional heat treatment was conducted on the hot-rolled samples at 1200 °C in an argon atmosphere to further observe the interaction between reinforcement and alloy. Their microstructure revealed the coarsening of precipitates within the metal matrix and partial reinforcement dissolution, which proved to be crucial to obtaining the highest quality composites with homogenous hardness improvement.     

Fabrication and Supercritical Water Corrosion Resistance of TiN/TiNC/Al2O3 Multilayer Coating on Inconel 625 Alloy by CVD Method

A TiN/TiNC/Al₂O₃ multilayer coating was deposited on an Inconel 625 alloy by the chemical vapor deposition method as a protective barrier to improve the corrosion resistance in supercritical water. The corrosion characteristics were evaluated in a reactor at 500 °C and 25 MPa for 72 h. The surface morphology of the coated samples was relatively dense with no obvious cracks or pores observed. The XRD analysis revealed that the coatings were composed of TiN, TiNC and α-Al₂O₃ phases. After exposure to supercritical water, the surface morphology of the coatings was still dense and kept integrity. The phase composition of the coatings was also not changed, with no obvious corrosion scales detected. This result demonstrates the effectiveness of TiN/TiNC/Al₂O₃ coatings as a protective coating under harsh supercritical water environments.     

Studies on the Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Superalloy Inconel 718 Induced by Low Plasticity Burnishing Coupled with Turning

Mechanical surface treatments are needed to perform on components for fatigue life enhancement by introducing beneficial compressive residual stress and material strengthening. In this study, the combined turning with low plasticity burnishing (LPB) surface modification process was performed for the sake of improving mechanical properties of Inconel 718. Firstly, the evolution of microstructure and residual stress after the LPB process were analyzed with the aid of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Secondly, the tensile behavior of treated samples was investigated through tension tests. Finally, the micro-strengthening mechanism of Inconel 718, induced by the LPB process, was revealed. The results show that the peak compressive stress is increased by a factor of 4.2 after the LPB process. The grain refinement induced by the LPB process is attributed to the increase of average misorientation and the formation of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). The enhanced yield strength depends on the decreased average spacing and the increased HAGBs.     

Effect of Pressure and Temperature on Densification in Electric Field-Assisted Sintering of Inconel 718 Superalloy

Electric field-assisted sintering has ubiquitous merits over conventional sintering technology for the fabrication of difficult-to-deform materials. To investigate the effect of sintering pressure and temperature on the densification of Inconel 718 superalloy, a numerical simulation model was established based on the Fleck-Kuhn-McMeeking (FKM) and Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) models, which covers a wide range of porosity. At a sintering pressure below 50 MPa or a sintering temperature below 950 °C, the average porosity of the sintered superalloy is over 0.17 with low densification. Under a pressure above 110 MPa and a temperature above 1250 °C, the sintered superalloy quickly completes densification and enters the plastic yield stage, making it difficult to control the sintering process. When the pressure is above 70 MPa while the temperature exceeds 1150 °C, the average porosity is 0.11, with little fall when the pressure or temperature rises. The experimental results indicated that the relative density of the sintered superalloy under 70 MPa and 1150 °C is 94.46%, and the proportion of the grain size below 10 μm is 73%. In addition, the yield strength of the sintered sample is 512 MPa, the compressive strength comes to 1260 MPa when the strain is over 0.8, and the microhardness is 395 Hv, demonstrating a better mechanical property than the conventional superalloy.     

Effect of Hydrogen on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of 316L Steel and Inconel 718 Alloy Processed by Selective Laser Melting

The interaction of hydrogen with specimens of 316L steel and Inconel 718 alloy processed by selective laser melting (SLM) was studied. The effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of SLM materials, hydrogen permeability, and microstructure was investigated; besides, these values were compared with the properties of conventionally produced materials. It was shown that SLM can be successfully used to produce parts for operation in hydrogen environments at high pressure at room temperature.     

Flow Behavior of AA5005 Alloy at High Temperature and Low Strain Rate Based on Arrhenius-Type Equation and Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network (BP-ANN) Model

To realize the purpose of energy saving, materials with high weight are replaced by low-weight materials with eligible mechanical properties in all kinds of fields. Therefore, conducting research works on lightweight materials under specified work conditions is extremely important and profound. To understand the relationship of aluminum alloy AA5005 among flow stress, true strain, strain rate, and deformation temperature, hot isothermal tensile tests were conducted within the strain rate range 0.0003–0.03 s⁻¹ and temperature range 633–773 K. Based on the true stress-true strain curves obtained from the experiment, a traditional constitutive regression Arrhenius-type equation was utilized to regress flow behaviors. Meanwhile, the Arrhenius-type equation was optimized by a sixth-order polynomial function for compensating strain. Thereafter, a back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) model based on supervised machine learning was also employed to regress and predict flow stress in diverse deform conditions. Ultimately, by introducing statistical analyses correlation coefficient (R²), average absolute relative error (AARE), and relative error (δ) to the comparative study, it was found that the Arrhenius-type equation will lose accuracy in cases of high stress. Additionally, owning higher R², lower AARE, and more concentrative δ value distribution, the BP-ANN model is superior in regressing and predicting than the Arrhenius-type constitutive equation.