Effect of Scanning Speed on Microstructure and Properties of Inconel 718 Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Inconel 718 superalloy was prepared by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) under different scanning speeds. The microstructure, texture, and tensile properties of Inconel 718 at different scanning speeds were tested by optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, tensile testing machine and friction and wear test machine. The results show that defect size tends to increase with the increased scanning speeds, while the cellular structure size is smaller at higher scan speeds. Defect density from higher scanning speeds can severely deteriorate LPBF Inconel 718 fracture toughness. When the scanning speed is 960 mm/s, the LPBF Inconel 718 alloy can obtain a low wear rate of 1.426 × 10–9 m3/N·m.