Effect of Static Magnetic Field on the Evolution of Residual Stress and Microstructure of Laser Remelted Inconel 718 Superalloy

Abstract

As a typical additive manufacturing technique, direct energy deposition is restricted from further application due to the presence of residual stress and the structural deformation. Thus, minimizing the residual stress plays a crucial role in additive manufacturing. In this work, a transverse static magnetic field is introduced in the laser remelting of Inconel 718 superalloy to investigate the effects on residual stress and microstructural change. The x-ray diffraction technique was used to examine the residual stress variation. Optical microscope and scanning electron microscope were applied to observe the microstructure evolution. It was found that the compressive residual stress of the remelted region was notably reduced from 392.50 to 315.45 MPa under the effect of the magnetic field of 0.55 T. Furthermore, it was observed that the average dendrite spacing was reduced by about 32% under the magnetic field. During the laser remelting process, the imposed electromagnetic force minimized the flow field within the molten pool, inhibiting the heat transfer and minimizing the cooling rate. These directly reduced the residual stresses. Based on research findings, the magnetic field can be a potential method to eliminate the residual stress in laser additive manufacturing components.