VHCF Behavior of Inconel 718 in Different Heat Treatment Conditions in a Hot Air Environment

The very high cycle properties of Inconel 718 in two different heat treatment conditions were investigated at a test temperature of 500 °C. One condition was optimized for fatigue strength and displayed a finer-grained microstructure, while the second batch had a more coarse-grained microstructure. For the high-temperature ultrasonic fatigue testing, a new test concept was developed. The method is based on the principle of a hot-air furnace and thus differs from the conventionally used induction heaters. The concept could be successfully evaluated in the course of the investigations. The materials’ microstructure was analyzed before and after fatigue testing by means of metallographic and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)analysis. The results show a significant influence of the heat treatment on the fatigue strength caused by the specific microstructure. Further, a difference in crack propagation behavior due to microstructural influences and non-metallic precipitations was observed.