EBSD Study of Delta-Processed Ni-Based Superalloy

Nickel-based superalloys are extensively used in the aerospace and power generation industries due to their excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures and good corrosion resistance. Typically, these alloys require accomplishing critical standards during their manufacturing process. In this study, an Inconel 718 (IN718) Ni-based superalloy was subjected to a delta-processing treatment (DP718) and subsequently deformed at high temperature. Samples were compressed below and above the δ-solvus temperature at two different strain rates of 0.001 s−1 and 0.01 s−1. A detailed microstructural characterization was carried out by the electron backscattered diffraction technique (EBSD). Kikuchi patterns and the orientation relationship of the δ-phase were identified. For samples deformed above the δ-solvus at 0.01 s−1, an increase in the percentage of low angle grain boundaries (LAGB) within deformed grains and a decrease in high angle grain boundaries (HAGB) were observed. Comprehensive observation of the microstructural evolution of IN718 subjected to DP718 using orientation map images was also performed.