Achieving high strength and ductility in Inconel 718: tailoring grain structure through micron-sized carbide additives in PBF-LB/M additive manufacturing

Few attempts have been made so far to develop modifiers for in situ use in Inconel 718 PBF-LB/M fabrication. Reports show an increase in tensile strength compared to unmodified counterparts. However, significant ductility reduction is observed, outweighing the mere tensile strength improvements when considering practical applications. In this study, micron-sized powder modifiers (NbC, TiC, and B4C) were added in proportions of 0.6 wt.% (NbC and TiC) and 0.2 wt.% (B4C) to Inconel 718 powder for PBF-LB/M processing. These modifiers allowed for grain structure control during heat treatment, including hot isostatic pressing. The addition of NbC resulted in a finer grain structure, while the addition of TiC preserved the as-built grain structure after heat treatment. Carbide precipitates led to uniform GND distribution and promoted uniform stress distribution. We show that the trade-off between strength and ductility in carbide-modified IN718 can be overcome by careful PBF-LB/M processing and heat treatment.