Characterization of the tensile anisotropy of LPBF Inconel 718 by analysing fracture mechanism behaviour

Additive Manufactured Inconel718 nowadays is mainly used for liquid rocket engines. The New Space Economy is growing day by day and the scientific community need to keep updating skills and knowledges respect to both, new process technologies such as additive manufacturing and old superalloys such as inocnel718 processed by this new technology. The present project is an important brick of a more complex project between Politecnico di Torino and Sophia High Tech s.r.l.. In particular, results will be able to provide a better explanation of the mechanical and fracture behaviour. AM products are well known for their anisotropy, especially before heat treatments. Aim of the present study is to identify the different mechanical fractur mechanisms of traction tests processed respect to two main printing direction before and after the standard precipitation hardening heat treatment for Inocnel718: Z vertical building process direction and the XY horizontal platform direction. Mechanical tensile behaviour results has been evaluated in relation with the fracture surfaces, the chemical composition and the micrography microstructure analysis (for both, Z and XY direction).