Best inconel 718 powder for 3D printing

Inconel 718 powder (IN718) is a well-known nickel-based superalloy powder that is extensively used in high-value-added engineering applications such as jet engines in aerospace and steam generators in nuclear power plants, as well as in the defense and marine sectors. It has excellent mechanical properties, fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance.

Inconel 718 powder is a high-strength, corrosion-resistant nickel-based superalloy that finds wide-ranging applications in various industries. Its unique combination of properties, including excellent mechanical strength, high temperature resistance, and superb corrosion resistance, makes it a preferred choice for critical applications in aerospace, oil and gas, power generation, and more. In this article, we will delve into the characteristics, manufacturing process, and diverse applications of Inconel 718 powder.

Inconel 718 powder exhibits several key characteristics that make it a highly sought-after material:

1. Exceptional Strength: Inconel 718 powder offers high tensile, yield, and fatigue strengths, making it suitable for applications requiring robust mechanical performance.
2. Heat and Oxidation Resistance: The alloy maintains its strength and integrity even at elevated temperatures, making it ideal for use in hot sections of gas turbines, jet engines, and other high-temperature environments.
3. Corrosion Resistance: Inconel 718 powder displays excellent resistance to corrosion, including pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking, making it suitable for applications in aggressive chemical environments.
4. Fatigue and Fracture Resistance: The alloy’s exceptional fatigue and fracture toughness properties enable it to withstand cyclic loading and prevent catastrophic failures.

Inconel 718 powder Specification:

Common Size:15-45um,15-53um,45-106um,45-150u,-200/-300/-400/-500/-600mesh etc,.

Inconel 718 powder properties:

Nickel Alloy Inconel 718 is a high-strength, corrosion-resistant nickel-chromium material used at -423° to 1300°F. The age-hardenable alloy can be readily fabricated, even into complex parts. Its welding characteristics, especially its resistance to post-weld cracking, are outstanding. Inconel 718 density is 8.71g/cm3 at the room temperature of 300 K. In718 melting temperature is 1430°C, and has properties of  good heat resistance and high temperature resistance.

Inconel 718 powder is a nickel-based superalloy, which is very suitable for applications requiring high strength in the temperature range from low temperatures to 1400°F. In718 also has excellent tensile strength and impact strength. Inconel 718 powder has good oxidation and corrosion resistance at temperatures within the useful strength range of the alloy in the atmosphere encountered in the operation of jet engines and gas turbines.

Inconel 718 powder is a precipitation hardening nickel-chromium-iron alloy containing niobium and molybdenum. It has high strength, good toughness and corrosion resistance in high and low-temperature environments below 650°C. Its state can be solid solution treatment or precipitation hardening state.

Inconel 718 powder mechanical properties:

Inconel718 alloy has excellent characteristics and easy processing; it has high tensile strength, fatigue strength, creeps strength and breaking strength at 700℃; high oxidation resistance at 1000℃; stable chemistry at low temperatures performance; Good welding performance.

Mechanical Properties:

1. Tensile Strength/MPa: 1350±20
2. Yield Strength/MPa: 1065±20
3. Elongation After Break/%: 30±5
4. Tensile Strength(650℃)/MPa: 1015±10
5. Yield Strength(650℃)/MPa: 860±10
6. Elongation After Break(650℃)/%: 15±3

Product Properties

1.  Appearance:Grey spherical powder
2. Tapping Density：4.89g/m³
3. Apparent density: 4.18g/m³
4. Flowability：18.1s/50g
5. Size: 15-53um
6. PSD: D10:23.18um, D50:35.68um, D90: 54.62um

Application:

1. Aerospace: Inconel 718 powder is widely employed in aerospace applications, such as aircraft engine components, turbine blades, and combustion chambers, where high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance, and fatigue life are crucial.
2. Oil and Gas: The alloy is utilized in oil and gas exploration and production, specifically in downhole tools, wellhead components, and valves, due to its resistance to sour environments, high-pressure conditions, and corrosive fluids.
3. Power Generation: Inconel 718 powder plays a vital role in power generation applications, including gas turbine engines, nuclear reactors, and steam generators, where it withstands high-temperature, high-pressure, and corrosive conditions.
4. Chemical Processing: Inconel 718 powder is employed in chemical plants for equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers, and piping systems, due to its resistance to a wide range of chemicals, including acids, alkalis, and organic compounds.

Typical powder properties