The Effect of Heat Treatment on the Room Temperature and Elevated Temperature Fracture Toughness Response of Alloy 718

Abstract

The effect of heat treatment on the JIC fracture toughness behavior of Alloy 718 was characterized at room temperature, 427°C and 538°C. Two different heat treatments were used: the conventional (ASTM A637) treatment, and a modified heat treatment designed to improve the toughness of Alloy 718 base metal and weldments. The elastic-plastic JIC fracture toughness response of the modified Alloy 718 was found to be superior to the JIC behavior exhibited by the conventional material over the entire test temperature range. Metallographic and fractographic examinations of Alloy 718 fracture surfaces revealed that the inferior fracture resistance of the conventional superalloy was attributed to the presence of coarse δ precipitates throughout the conventional matrix. The increased fracture toughness response of the modified Alloy 718 was related to the dissolution of coarse δ precipitates during the high temperature solution anneal employed in the modified treatment.