NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING AND EVALUATION, ss.1-19, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
This study aims to investigate the effects of build direction on the as-fabricated microstructure and mechanical properties of Inconel 718 specimens manufactured via the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) technique. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the specimens were characterized via SEM, EBSD,ultrasonic wave velocity measurements, hardness and tensile tests. For the as-fabricated condition, the highest tensile strength (1114 MPa) was obtained with the horizontally built specimens while the vertically built ones have the highest 40% elongation. The computational analysis produced results that closely aligned with the measured yield strength values of L-PBFed samples. Additionally, a strong correlation was observed between the hardness values and longitudinal ultrasound velocity of L-PBF Inconel 718 specimens. Consequently, the non-destructive ultrasonic evaluation provided valuable insights into the anisotropy of mechanical properties, complementing information obtained from conventional tensile tests.