Nickel Alloy 718 Powder

Nickel Alloy 718 powder, also known as Inconel 718 powder, is a high-strength, corrosion-resistant nickel-chromium alloy powder.

Metal Powder Size Quantity Price/kg Size Quantity Price/kg
Inconel 718 0-20μm 1KG 60.9 53-105μm 1KG 59
10KG 39.8 10KG 38
100KG 34.5 100KG 33

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Table of Contents

Overview

Nickel Alloy 718 powder, also known as Inconel 718 powder, is a high-strength, corrosion-resistant nickel-chromium alloy powder. It is widely used in aerospace, oil and gas, automotive, and other high-temperature applications due to its excellent mechanical properties and resistance to oxidation and corrosion at high temperatures.

Some key features of Nickel Alloy 718 powder include:

  • High strength and hardness up to ~650°C
  • Outstanding corrosion resistance
  • Excellent creep and fatigue strength
  • Good weldability and machinability
  • High impact strength and toughness
  • Can be thermally processed for optimal properties

Nickel Alloy 718 powder is most commonly used in additive manufacturing techniques like selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM), and binder jetting to fabricate complex geometries. Other applications include metal injection molding (MIM) and thermal or cold spraying.

Composition

The typical chemical composition of Nickel Alloy 718 powder is:

Element Weight %
Nickel (Ni) 50 – 55
Chromium (Cr) 17 – 21
Iron (Fe) Balance
Niobium (Nb) 4.75 – 5.5
Molybdenum (Mo) 2.8 – 3.3
Titanium (Ti) 0.65 – 1.15
Aluminum (Al) 0.2 – 0.8
Cobalt (Co) ≤ 1
Copper (Cu) ≤ 0.3
Manganese (Mn) ≤ 0.35
Silicon (Si) ≤ 0.35
Phosphorus (P) ≤ 0.015
Sulfur (S) ≤ 0.015
Boron (B) ≤ 0.006
Carbon (C) ≤ 0.08

The key alloying elements like Ni, Cr, Nb, and Mo contribute to high strength through precipitation hardening and solid solution strengthening mechanisms. Iron is the main base metal along with Nickel. Smaller additions of Al and Ti help with grain structure control. The trace elements are restricted to prevent detrimental effects.

Properties

Nickel Alloy 718 powder offers a unique combination of outstanding properties, making it suitable for high-performance parts across industries:

Property Description
Strength Tensile strength of 1,300 MPa in annealed condition. Can reach over 1,500 MPa after age hardening heat treatment
Hardness hardness over 470 HB
Density 8.19 g/cm3
Melting Point 1,260-1,336°C
Thermal Conductivity ~11 W/m-K
Electrical Resistivity ~125 μΩ-cm
Thermal Expansion ~13 μm/m-°C
Elastic Modulus ~205 GPa
Elongation Over 12%
Impact Strength Up to 100 J at room temperature
Fatigue Strength Very high fatigue and creep resistance
Oxidation Resistance Resists oxidation up to 700°C
Corrosion Resistance Excellent resistance to SCC and other forms of aqueous corrosion
Weldability Good weldability
Machinability Improved machinability over regular 718 nickel alloy

The high strength is maintained to over 650°C along with good ductility and toughness. It has far superior creep, fatigue and crack growth resistance compared to stainless steels. The outstanding corrosion resistance allows applications in harsh environments. These well-balanced properties make Nickel Alloy 718 suitable for critical components.

Characteristics

Some unique characteristics of Nickel Alloy 718 powder include:

  • Age or precipitation hardening – Develops strength over time when heat treated through precipitation of intermetallic Ni3(Al,Ti) gamma prime and body centered tetragonal Ni3Nb gamma double prime phases
  • Solid solution strengthening – Alloying elements like Mo and Cr dissolve into the nickel-iron matrix increasing baseline strength
  • Heat treatable – Can be solution annealed and precipitation hardened to tailor properties as per application needs
  • Produces stable, tenacious oxide scale providing corrosion resistance
  • Cryogenic toughness – Retains ductility and toughness at extreme sub-zero temperatures
  • Easy to achieve fine-grained microstructure using powder bed fusion AM processes
  • HIP’ability – Hot isostatic pressing can eliminate internal porosity in AM parts
  • Good additive manufacturing processability with moderate laser powers

Specifications

Nickel Alloy 718 powder is available in various size distributions classified into different categories:

Size Range

Category Size Range (μm)
Fine grade 15-45
Extra-fine grade 10-22
Submicron grade 0.5-15

Size Distribution

Typical size distributions for AM processes:

Size Distribution D10 (μm) D50 (μm) D90 (μm)
15-45 μm 20 35 40
10-22 μm 12 18 22

Chemical Purity

Grade Purity
Standard ≥ 99.9%
High Purity ≥ 99.95%
Ultra High Purity ≥ 99.99%

Standards

Nickel Alloy 718 powder compositions are standardized according to:

  • ASTM B637
  • AMS 5596G
  • AMS 5662M

However, customized compositions tailored for AM are also available.

Applications

Nickel Alloy 718 powder is used across industries to manufacture critical components via AM or other powder metallurgy process routes:

Industry

Application
Aerospace Turbine blades, discs, shafts, gears, cases, structural brackets
Oil and Gas Wellhead components, downhole tools, valves, pumps
Automotive Turbocharger parts, engine components
Medical Orthopedic implants, prosthetics
Defense Missile components, rotor system parts
Power Generation Steam and gas turbine hot section parts
Chemical Processing Heat exchangers, reaction vessels

Components

Component
Turbocharger wheels
Combustor liners
Seal rings
Heat exchanger tubes
Valve bodies
Thermal spray coatings

The excellent strength and corrosion resistance at elevated temperatures make this a go-to material for fabricating hot section structural components. The creep resistance allows sustained loadbearing performance. Nickel Alloy 718 also finds uses in cryogenic applications due to its low temperature ductility.

Suppliers

Nickel Alloy 718 powder suitable for AM and thermal spray processes is supplied by leading manufacturers:

Suppliers

Company Brand Names Production Methods
Sandvik Osprey® 718 Gas Atomization
Praxair TRU 718 Gas Atomization
Carpenter Additive CR 718 Gas Atomization
Erasteel EZ 718 Gas Atomization
AP&C PulNi 718 Gas Atomization
SLM Solutions IN718 Gas Atomization
LPW Technology LP18Ni700 Gas Atomization

Met3dp in718 powder price list

Metal Powder Size Quantity Price/kg Size Quantity Price/kg
Inconel 718 0-20μm 1KG 60.9 53-105μm 1KG 59
10KG 39.8 10KG 38
100KG 34.5 100KG 33

Prices vary from supplier to supplier based on order volume, powder quantity, additional powder characterization, and purity levels.

How to Choose Right Nickel Alloy 718 Powder

Selecting the right Nickel Alloy 718 powder type is critical for high quality AM components. Here are some key considerations:

Size Range

  • General rule is finer is better for resolution, surface finish
  • But too fine leads to poor powder flow and scattering losses
  • 15-45 μm is optimal balance for most AM processes

Size Distribution

  • Tighter distributions like Dv90 < 10 μm improve density
  • But range allows good packing density

Sphericity and Morphology

  • Highly spherical and smooth powder flows nicely, packs densely, and spreads evenly
  • Irregular particles can negatively impact material properties

Chemical Composition

  • Adhere to ASTM standard composition for proven alloy performance
  • Ensure low oxygen and nitrogen to prevent porosity and weakness
  • High powder purity reduces detrimental second phase particles
  • Customized compositions available for enhanced AM processability

Microstructure

  • Gas atomization yields fine grain structure essential for mechanical properties
  • Lack of texturing gives isotropic strength
  • Contamination and satellites can seed defects

Powder Characteristics

  • Good flowability and spreadability eases AM processing
  • Apparent density directly affects final part density
  • Analyze all characteristics per ASTM and MPIF standards

How to Process Nickel Alloy 718 Powder

Nickel Alloy 718 powder can be processed via multiple AM techniques as well as secondary operations:

Additive Manufacturing

Popular AM Processes

Process Description
Binder Jetting Liquid bonding agent selectively joins powder particles
Directed Energy Deposition Focused thermal energy melts powder for layer-by-layer deposition
Electron Beam Melting High-power electron beam selectively fuses powder bed
Laser Powder Bed Fusion Laser scanning melts and consolidates powder layers
Metal Injection Molding Binds powder with polymer, then debinds and sinters

All techniques produce near net shape parts needing some post processing. Binder jetting requires infiltration to consolidate green compacts while powder bed fusion makes high-density components. All options allow geometric freedom and customization.

Best Practice Parameters

For laser powder bed fusion with Nickel Alloy 718:

  • Laser power: 195-250 W
  • Scan speed: 700-850 mm/s
  • Hatch spacing: 0.09-0.12 mm
  • Layer thickness: 20-50 μm

Use hot isostatic pressing to eliminate residual porosity and improve material properties.

Heat Treatment

Typical heat treatment procedure:

  1. Hot isostatic pressing
    • 1,160°C, 100 to 150 MPa, 4 hours
  2. Solution annealing
    • 980°C, hold 1 hour, argon quench
  3. Age hardening
    • 720°C, 8 hours, furnace cool to 620°C
    • 620°C, 8 hours, air cool

This tailors a uniform gamma double prime microstructure and achieves optimal strength through precipitation hardening. Solution heat treatment dissolves Nb/Ti-rich intermetallics while aging precipitates them out homogeneously.

Surface Finish

As-built surface roughness averages around 15-20 μm Ra depending on process parameters. Various finishing operations yield smooth surfaces:

  • CNC machining
  • Tumbling/vibratory finishing
  • Chemical etching
  • Electropolishing
  • Shot peening

Most AM Nickel Alloy 718 components are machined to dimensional accuracy and the desired surface finish.

Applications of Additively Manufactured Nickel Alloy 718 Parts

AM enables consolidating multiple components and optimized geometries using Nickel Alloy 718:

Industry Components Benefits
Aerospace Turbine blades, rocket nozzles Complex cooling channels, aerofoil shapes
Oil & Gas Seal rings, pump bodies, valves Conformal cooling, reduce part count
Automotive Turbocharger wheels Reduced mass by lattice structures
Power Generation Hot gas path components Short lead times for obsolete parts
Chemical Processing Pipe fittings, reaction vessels Superior corrosion resistance

Lighter weight latticed structures lower component mass. Conformal cooling channels in hot section tools boost efficiency. Topology optimized shapes cut fluid dynamic losses. All these reduce life cycle costs in terms of raw material, energy consumption, and maintenance.

At the same time, binder jetting and directed energy deposition enable rapid tooling, prototyping, and short run production directly in Nickel Alloy 718.

Pros vs Cons of Nickel Alloy 718 Powder

Pros

  • Extremely high strength and hardness maintained up to ~650°C
  • Excellent resistance to creep, fatigue, fracture, and corrosion
  • Retains strength and ductility at cryogenic temperatures
  • Near isotropic mechanical properties
  • Proven alloy with readily available feedstock powder
  • Cost advantage over difficult-to-machine Ni superalloys
  • Customization and design flexibility using AM
  • Consolidate components and lightweight structures

Cons

  • Less potential for hot isostatic pressing vs cast alloy 718
  • Still prone to solidification cracking in AM
  • Requires heat treatment for optimal properties
  • Lower strength than some Ni superalloys
  • Sensitive to build defects typical with metal AM processes
  • Powder is relatively expensive compared to stainless steel

Proper parameter optimization and rigorous quality control during AM component manufacturing is essential to leverage the full capabilities of this high-performance material.

Future Outlook for Nickel Alloy 718 Powder

Nickel Alloy 718 will continue seeing expanded use in AM across aerospace, gas turbines, tooling, and other challenging applications:

  • New aircraft engines have over 40% AM content targeting for significant cost savings through weight reduction, improved efficiency, and part consolidation
  • Declining prices of AM machinery and wider material qualification will boost adoption
  • High-strength, custom alloy variants are being developed to push limits further
  • Novel heat treatments are being evaluated for maximum precipitation hardening along with HIP
  • Hybrid manufacturing combining AM, machining, surfacing will enable high volumes
  • Increased standardization of AM process parameters, powder specifications, part qualification protocols will facilitate growth

With powder metallurgy methods like AM maturing further, Nickel Alloy 718 will keep satisfying needs for specialized components where performance outweighs processing costs.

FAQs

Q. Why is Nickel Alloy 718 preferred over stainless steels for high temperature applications?

A. Nickel Alloy 718 maintains far higher strength, hardness and corrosion resistance at temperatures over 650°C compared to stainless steels. It also offers markedly better creep rupture strength enabling static high temperature load bearing capabilities.

Q. What particle size range is optimal for AM using Nickel Alloy 718 powder?

A. A particle size range of 15-45 microns balances nicely between resolution, surface finish, powder flowability and packing density. Finer powders under 10 microns can be more difficult to process.

Q. Does Nickel Alloy 718 powder require hot isostatic pressing after additive manufacturing?

A. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) eliminates internal voids and porosity in AM Nickel Alloy 718 components. This allows achieving close to 100% density and isotropic material properties. HIP is recommended but not mandatory before heat treatment.

Q. Why is Nickel Alloy 718 preferred for cryogenic applications vs other alloys?

A. Unlike other high-strength alloys, Nickel Alloy 718 retains appreciable ductility and toughness in sub-zero cryogenic temperatures while maintaining its strength. This makes it suitable for liquefied gas storage and transportation applications.

Q. Does Nickel Alloy 718 powder have better corrosion resistance compared to wrought alloy 718?

A. Both powder and wrought Alloy 718 offer similar outstanding corrosion resistance across various mediums. Powder-based AM enables fabricating components with complex optimized geometries further improving corrosion resistance.

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