LASER SURFACE ANNEALING FOR IMPROVING HYDROGEN EMBRlTTLEMENT RESISTANCE OF AGED INCONEL 718: EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF PRECIPITATES

Application of the aged Inconel 718 in hydrogen environment is seriously restraint by its high hydrogen embrittlement (HE) sensitivity. m previous researches, we have suggested the possibility and applicability of the laser surface annealing (LSA) process in improving the HE resistance of this alloy. Sequentially, a study on the effects of the precipitates in the Inconel 718 on its HE sensitivity was conducted in this research. Firstly, flat bar specimens were heat-treated to obtain various kinds of precipitation microstructures concerning the ${\gamma}$" phase and the 6 phase. Hydrogen was charged into the specimen by a cathodic charging process. The loss in reduction of area (RA) caused by hydrogen charging was used to assess the HE sensitivity. The HE sensitivity of the alloy was lowered with decreasing the volume fraction of ${\gamma}$". Moreover, it was possible to increase the HE resistance of the aged alloy by dissolving the $\delta$ phase, keeping the strength at the same level as that of the common aged alloy. Thus, we concluded that both the $\delta$ phase and the ${\gamma}$" phase affected the HE sensitivity of Inconel 718. Next, two kinds of notch tensile specimens were fabricated, one kind having $\delta$ phase and the other having no $\delta$ phase. All these specimens were aged via the same aging heat treatment process. The LSA process annealed a thin layer of the notch bottom of each specimen. One specimen of each kind was charged with hydrogen by the cathodic hydrogen charging process. Loss in the notch tensile strength (NTS) caused by hydrogen was used to evaluate the HE sensitivity. It was found that while the HE sensitivity of conventionally aged Inconel 718 was decreased by the LSA process, the HE sensitivity of the $\delta$-free aged Inconel 718 could further be decreased. Therefore, for applications in hydrogen environments, it is possible to fabricate alloys with both good HE resistance and high strength by controlling the precipitation conditions, and to improve HE resistance further via applying the LSA process.