UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF

Mr.Senkathir

MINI PROJECT
To Study and Analyse the Effect of
Tempering on Inconel 718 Using Image
Analyser
 Abstract

Investigations are carried out to study the effects of heat treatment on the
mechanical properties of Inconel 718. Samples of Inconel 718 were examined
after heating at the 900C & soaked for 60 min. in a muffle furnace then
quenched in water.

The mechanical behaviour of the samples was investigated using

universal tensile testing machine for tensile test & Rockwell hardness method
for hardness testing. The hardness values and tensile strength of the quenched
samples were relatively higher than those of the as-received samples, suggesting
improved mechanical properties.

The mechanical properties such as ductility, toughness, strength,

hardness and tensile strength can easily be modified by heat treating the Inconel
718 to suit a particular design purpose. Tensile test specimens were produced
from Inconel 718 and were subjected to various forms of heat treatment
processes like quenching and tempering.

Results showed that the mechanical properties of Inconel 718 can be

changed and improved by various heat treatments for a particular application.
 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION:
Gamma Prime strengthened alloy with excellent
Inconel 718 mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, as
Product well as cryogenic temperatures. Suitable for
Description temperatures up to around 1300 F. Can be readily
worked and age hardened.

Excellent strength from -423 degrees F to 1300 degrees F (-253 degrees C to

705 degrees C). Age hardenable and may be welded in fully aged condition,
Excellent oxidation resistance up to 1800 degrees F (980 degrees C). Typically
sold in the solution annealed temper, but can be ordered aged, cold worked, or
cold worked & aged.

Inconel alloys are oxidation- and corrosion-resistant materials well suited for
service in extreme environments subjected to pressure and heat. When heated,
Inconel forms a thick, stable, passivating oxide layer protecting the surface
from further attack. Inconel retains strength over a wide temperature range,
attractive for high temperature applications where aluminium and steel would
succumb to creep as a result of thermally induced crystal vacancies. Inconels
high temperature strength is developed by solid solution
strengthening or precipitation hardening, depending on the alloy
Heat Treating of Nickel and Nickel Alloys
Nickel and nickel alloys may be subjected to one or more of five principal types
of heat treatment, depending on chemical composition, fabrication requirements
and intended service. These methods include annealing, stress relieving, stress
equalizing, solution treating and age hardening.

Nickel and nickel alloys may be subjected to one or more of five principal types
of heat treatment, depending on chemical composition, fabrication requirements
and intended service.

These methods include:

Annealing.A heat treatment designed to produce a recrystallized grain

structure and softening in work-hardened alloys. Annealing usually
requires temperatures between 705 and 1205C, depending on alloy
composition and degree of work hardening.

Stress relieving. A heat treatment used to remove or reduce stresses in

work-hardened non-age-hardenable alloys without producing a
recrystalized grain structure. Stress-relieving temperatures for nickel and
nickel alloys from 425 to 870C, depending on alloy composition and
degree of work hardening.

Stress equalizing. A low-temperature heat treatment used to balance

stresses in cold worked material without an appreciable decrease in the
mechanical strength produced by cold working.

Solution treating. A high-temperature heat treatment designed to put

age-hardening constituents and carbides into solid solution. Normally
applied to age-hardenable materials before the aging treatment.

Age hardening (precipitation hardening). A treatment performed at

intermediate temperatures (425 to 870C) on certain alloys in order to
develop maximum strength by precipitation of a dispersed phase
throughout the matrix.

Annealing
As applied to nickel and nickel alloys, annealing consists of heating the metal at
a predetermined temperature for a definite time and then slowly or rapidly
cooling it, to produce a change in mechanical properties - usually a complete
softening as a result of recrystalization.
Nickel and nickel alloys that have been hardened by cold working operations,
such as rolling, deep drawing, spinning or severe bending, require softening
before cold working can be continued. The thermal treatment that will produce
this condition is known as annealing, or soft annealing.

The differences in chemical composition among nickel and nickel alloys

necessitate modifications in annealing temperatures as well as in furnace
atmospheres. The precipitation-hardening alloys must be cooled rapidly after
annealing if maximum softness is desired.

Three soft-annealing methods in general commercial use - open, closed and salt
bath annealing - are described bellow (Table 2.).

Open annealing is used most often. The material to be annealed is heated at the
selected temperature and protected from oxidation by the products of
combustion in a fuel-heated furnace, or by a reducing gas introduced into an
electric furnace. Temperature control is critical because the annealing period is
short.

Closed (box) annealing requires more time than open annealing because of the
lower temperatures used. Temperature control is less critical than in open
annealing. In most instances, the weight of the container exceeds that of the
work; consequently, the amount of fuel required, heating time and costs are
greater than in open annealing.

Table 1. Nickel and nickel alloys

Material Composition

Ni Fe Cu Cr Mo

Nickel 200 99.5 0.15 0.05 - -

Nickel 201 99.5 0.15 0.05 - -

Monel 400 66.0 1.35 31.5 - -

Monel R-405 66.0 1.35 31.5 - -

Monel K-500 65.0 1.00 29.5 - -

Inconel 600 76.0 7.20 0.10 15.8 -

Inconel 601 60.5 14.1 - 23.0 -

Inconel 617 54.0 - - 22.0 9.0

Inconel 625 61.0 2.5 - 21.5 9.0

Inconel 718 52.5 18.0 0.10 19.0 3.0

Inconel X-750 73.0 6.75 0.05 15.0 -

Hastelloy B 64.0 5.0 - - 28.0

Hastelloy C 56.0 5.5 - 15.5 16.0

Hastelloy X 48.0 18.5 - 22.0 9.0

Table 2. Soft-annealing methods for nickel and nickel alloys

Open Closed Stress

Material
annealingC annealingC relievingC

Nickel 200 815 to 925 705 to 760 480 to 705

Nickel 201 760 to 870 705 to 760 480 to 705

Monel 400 870 to 980 760 to 815 540 to 565

Monel R-
870 to 980 760 to 815 -
405

Monel K-
870 to 1040 Not applicable -
500

Inconel 600 925 to 1040 925 to 980 760 to 870

Inconel 601 1095 to 1175 1095 to 1175 -

Inconel 617 1120 to 1175 1120 to 1175 -

Inconel 625 980 to 1150 980 to 1150 -

Inconel 718 955 to 980 Not applicable -

Inconel X- 1095 to 1150 Not applicable -

750

Hastelloy B 1095 to 1185 - 1095 to 1185

Hastelloy C 1215 - 1215

Hastelloy X 1175 1175 -

Salt bath annealing is used for special work with small parts. Inorganic salts,
such as chlorides and carbonates of sodium, potassium and barium, which are
relatively stable at temperatures considerably above their respective melting
points, are fused in large metallic or refractory containers at temperatures up to
about 700C. At higher temperatures, heat-resisting Fe-Ni-Cr alloy pots or
refractory containers should be used. Excessive fuming of the bath is an
indication of its maximum usable temperature.

The material to be annealed is placed in molten salts and absorbs heat rapidly.
After being annealed, the work metal is quenched in water to free it from
particles of the salt mixture. The annealed material will not be bright and may
be flash pickled to achieve a bright surface.

Bright Annealing. The temperatures required for soft annealing of nickel and
nickel alloys are sufficiently high to cause slight surface oxidation unless the
materials are heated in vacuum or in a furnace provided with a reducing
atmosphere. Nickel 200, Monel 400 and similar alloys will remain bright and
free from discoloration when heated and cooled in a reducing atmosphere.
However, nickel alloys containing chromium, titanium and aluminum will form
a thin oxide film. Even if oxidation is not important, the furnace atmosphere
must be suitably sulfur-free and not strongly oxidizing.

The protective atmosphere most commonly used in heating nickel and nickel
alloys is that provided by controlling the ratio between the fuel and air supplied
to burners firing directly into the furnace. A desirable reducing condition may
be obtained by using a slight excess of fuel so that the products of combustion
contain at least 2% carbon monoxide plus hydrogen (preferably 4%) with no
more than 0.05% uncombined oxygen.

Another method of maintaining desired conditions of furnace atmosphere is to

introduce a prepared atmosphere into the heating and cooling chambers. This
can be added to the products of combustion in a direct-fired furnace; however,
introduction of prepared atmospheres is more commonly practiced with
indirectly heated equipment.

Prepared atmospheres suitable for use with nickel and nickel alloys include:
dried hydrogen, dried nitrogen, dissociated ammonia, and cracked or partially
reacted natural gas.

Dead-Soft Annealing. When the nickel alloys are annealed at higher

temperatures and for longer periods, a condition commonly described as "dead-
soft" is obtained, and hardness numbers will result that are 10 to 20% lower
than those of the "soft" condition. This cannot be accomplished without
increasing the grain size of the metal. Therefore, this treatment should be used
only for those few applications in which grain size is of little importance.

Torch Annealing. Some large equipment is hardened locally by fabricating

operations. If the available annealing furnace is too small to hold the work
piece, the hardened sections can be annealed with the flames of oil or acetylene
torches adjusted so as to be highly reducing.

The work should be warmed gently at first, with sweeping motions of the torch,
and should not be brought to the annealing temperature until sufficient
preheating has been done to prevent cracking as a result of sudden release of
stress. (Note: Torch annealing is a poor method for general use, because it
provides irregular and insufficient annealing and produces heavily oxidized
surfaces.)

Among the more important process-control factors in annealing nickel and

nickel alloys are selection of suitably sulfur-free for heating, control of furnace
temperature, effects of prior cold work and of cooling rates, control of grain
size, control of protective atmospheres, and protection from contamination by
foreign material.

Age hardening
Age-hardening practices for several nickel alloys are summarized in the Table
3. In general nickel alloys are soft when quenched from temperatures ranging
from 790 to 1220C, however, they may be hardened by holding at 480 to
870C or above and then furnace or air-cooling. Quenching is not a prerequisite
to aging; the alloys can be hardened from the hot worked and cold worked
conditions, as well as from the soft condition.

Table 3. Age-hardening practices for nickel and nickel alloys

Alloy Solution treated

Cooling
Temperature Age hardening
method
 Heat to 595C, hold 16h; furnace
Monel K-500 980 C WQ cool to 540oC, hold 6h; furnace
cool to 480C, hold 8h; air-cool

Heat to 720C, hold 8h; furnace

cool to 620C, hold until furnace
Inconel 718 980 C AC
time for entire age-hardening
cycle equals 18h; air cool

Heat to 845C, hold 24h; air

Inconel X-750 1150 C AC cool; reheat to 705C, hold 20h;
air cool

Heat to 730C, hold 8h; furnace

cool to 620C, hold until furnace
980 C AC
time for entire age-hardening
cycle equals 18h; air cool

Heat to 760C, hold 3h; air cool;

Hastelloy X 1175 C AC
reheat to 595C, hold 3h; air cool

Hardening Techniques. Nickel alloys usually are hardened in sealed boxes

placed inside a furnace, although small horizontal or vertical furnaces without
boxes may be used also. The box or furnace should hold the parts loosely
packed, yet afford a minimum of excess space. Electric furnaces provide the
optimum temperature uniformity of 6C and the freedom from contamination
required for this work. Gas-heated furnaces, particularly those of the radiant-
tube type, can be made to give satisfactory results. It is difficult to obtain good
results from oil heating, even with the muffle furnaces. All lubricants should be
removed from the work before hardening.

Because of the long time of aging and the difficulty of excluding air from the
box or furnace, truly bright hardening cannot be accomplished commercially.
For semibright hardening, dry hydrogen or cracked and dried ammonia should
be used. When bright or semibright hardening is not required, other
atmospheres may be used, such as nitrogen, cracked natural gas free of sulfur,
cracked city gas, cracked hydrocarbons, or a generated gas. The use of sulfur-
free gases is necessary to avoid embrittlement.

Salt baths are used occasionally for small parts. The hardened material is never
bright, and must be fresh pickled to restore the natural color. Inorganic salts are
used, such as chlorides and carbonates of sodium or potassium, which are
relatively stable at temperatures considerably above their respective melting
points. It is extremely important that the salts be free of all traces of sulfur, so
that the work does not become embrittled.

Applications

Inconel alloys are typically used in high temperature applications

Uses for this alloy tend to be in the field of gas turbine Components and
cryogenic storage tanks, jet engines, pump bodies and parts, rocket motors and
thrust reversers, nuclear fuel element spacers, hot extrusion ing. Other popular
uses are high strength bolting, and down hole shafting

CHAPTER-2
EXPERIMENTAL WORK

2.1 Preparation of samples:

Inconel 718 rods which are brought are send for the
chemical composition test so as to verify its composition to check whether it is
Inconel 718 or not.
Table
Chemistry of Inconel 718 used for The Heat Treatment
Processing Study.
Ni Fe Mo Mn Si Cr C
Max 55.0 Bal 3.30 0.35 0.35 21.0 0.08
Min 50.0 2.80 17.0

Now, Inconel 718 rods are taken and are machined into five set of samples in
which each set includes a specimen of tensile test, for hardness test and for Izod
impact test. With the required dimensions each and every samples were
machined using lathe machine. Standard tensile and hardness test specimens
were made from Inconel 718 in collaboration with a lathe machine. Samples
were subjected to different heat treatment sequences: water quenching, and
tempering at three different temperatures: 250C, 350C, 450C. Heat treated
specimens were mechanically tested for tensile properties, and hardness.
2.2 Heat Treatment

Inconel 718 Four out of the five prepared tensile test and hardness test
samples were heated to 900C and soaked for 50 minutes in a muffle furnace.
The test samples were quickly taken out of the furnace and quenched in chilled
water and removed after fifteen minutes. Tempering treatment was conducted
on three quenched samples at different temperatures of 250C, 350C, 450C
with dwell time 30 minutes inside the furnace environment and allowed it to
cooled in air to room temperature.

During the heat treatment process, the material usually

undergoes phase micro structural and cryptographic changes. The purpose of
heat treating Inconel 718 is to change the mechanical properties of Inconel 718,
usually ductility, hardness, Yield strength, tensile strength and impact resistance.

The Inconel 718 developed by quenching followed by

tempering process at a desired temperature has the highest ultimate tensile
strength with excellent combination of impact strength, ductility and hardness
which is very attractive for structural use. This brittleness is therefore removed
by tempering.

Tempering results in a desired combination of hardness,

ductility, toughness, strength and structural stability. The strength of the Inconel
718 may be improved by quenching followed by tempering with some
compromise on toughness. The heat treatment processes are to modify the
microstructure and consequently change the properties of the work piece
throughout.

2.3 Mechanical Testing

Mechanical tests were conducted on untreated,

quenched and hardened-tempered samples to evaluate their tensile and hardness
properties.

A HV-1000 Rockwell type digital hardness testing

machine was used to conduct the hardness test measurements. Hardness values
were determined by taking the average of five HRC readings at different
positions on the test samples.

Similarly, tensile test was conducted on untreated,

quenched and hardened-tempered samples at room temperature using a 600kN
Tensometer.

Tensometer is a device used to measure the tensile

strength of the given material. For tensile test to conduct we should get the
required dimensions of the material. Material is taken as per the requirements.

The ends of the specimen were gripped in the machine,

and load was applied until failure occurred. The initial gauge length and
diameter were measured before subjecting them to tension. The yield and
maximum loads were recorded directly from the resulted graph, the broken ends
of each of the specimens were fitted and the final gauge length and also the
smallest diameter of the local neck were measured.

The readings thus obtained were used in the

determination of the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, percentage
elongation.

2.4 Structural Analysis:

After Mechanical testing samples are taken for observing the

microstructures under the microscope at 100X magnification and are cropped in
image analyser software.

Micro structural variations are discussed and explained under the Results
and discussions. Microstructure images are attached below for different samples.