Influence of a Standard Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Properties of Inconel X‐750 Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The production of nickel‐base superalloys through powder bed fusion using a laser beam (PBF‐LB) offers a promising method for reducing the cost of aeronautical components, especially those with complex geometries. However, when these materials are processed using PBF‐LB, the standard heat treatments developed for conventional manufacturing routes do not consistently yield predictable microstructures or mechanical properties. Thus, this study analyzes how PBF‐LB affects the microstructure and mechanical behavior of Inconel alloy X‐750 when compared to a hot‐rolled counterpart after undergoing a standard precipitation‐hardening heat treatment (solution annealing, stabilization, and precipitation). Microstructure is examined using analytical electron microscopy and high‐energy X‐ray diffraction, while mechanical behavior is assessed through microhardness. Significant differences between both manufacturing routes are detected, so that PBF‐LB processing led to an increase in grain size, anisotropy, fraction of low‐angle grain boundaries, mean angle of misorientation, and dislocation density. Moreover, PBF‐LB promoted the formation of γ′‐Ni 3 (Al,Ti) and η‐Ni 3 Ti phases during solution annealing and stabilization, respectively. Notably, the formation of γ′ contributes to an anomalous microhardness increase observed between these steps. These findings suggest that PBF‐LB may inhibit recrystallization and facilitate precipitation during heat treatment, thereby affecting the performance of components produced using this technology.