Effect of Manufacturing Orientation on Solid Particle Erosion at High Temperatures in Inconel 718 Alloys Produced by SLM Method

Abstract

This study investigates durability of turbine blades made from Inconel 718 alloy against solid particle erosion under high-temperature conditions. Solid particle erosion wear tests were conducted in accordance with the ASTM G76 standard to carry out the research activity. Experiments were conducted on Inconel 718 specimens produced via selective laser melting (SLM) at orientations of 0°, 45°, and 90°, and compared with cast specimens. Erosion tests were performed using 375-micron aluminium oxide (Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>) particles with impact angles of 30° and 45°, at temperatures of 22 °C, 250 °C, and 500 °C. In the experimental process, the effects of temperature increase and specimen build orientation, an important parameter in metal additive manufacturing, on solid particle erosion wear were investigated. After the tests, the wear of the specimens was measured using a precision balance. In addition, the worn specimen surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results showed that, at room temperature, conventionally manufactured (cast) specimens experienced approximately 0.050 g of weight loss, whereas additively manufactured SLM specimens exhibited lower losses: ~ 0.038 g for horizontally oriented (0°), ~ 0.035 g for inclined (45°), and ~ 0.039 g for vertically oriented (90°) samples. Accordingly, SLM-produced specimens were found to undergo approximately 22–30% less wear compared to cast specimens. With increasing temperature, wear decreased in all specimens. Detailed surface examinations further revealed that 250 °C constitutes a critical temperature for IN718 material. At this temperature, a distinctive erosion damage mechanism, namely particle embedment into the surface, was observed. Moreover, under high-temperature tests, SLM specimens with different orientations exhibited ~ 0.005 to 0.01 g lower wear than their counterparts. Additive manufacturing technologies represent a contemporary innovation, and while studies exist in the literature focusing on processing parameters, there is still a lack of research addressing the erosion wear behavior of additively manufactured components for aerospace applications. In particular, the combined effects of build orientation and elevated temperature on erosion remain underexplored. Therefore, this study helps to clarify this gap in the literature and provides new findings, including the identification of 250 °C as a critical temperature and the demonstration of orientation-dependent erosion behavior in layer-by-layer manufacturing. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.