Research Article

Advances in Mechanical Engineering

111
The Author(s) 2015
Investigation into the influence of DOI: 10.1177/1687814015578396
aime.sagepub.com
post-weld heat treatment on the
microstructure and hardness of Inconel
X-750

Prachya Peasura and Bovornchok Poopat

Abstract
This work describes a post-weld heat treatment for a precipitation-hardened nickel alloy. Inconel X-750 is a nickel-based
superalloy for gas tungsten arc welding processes. The materials were heat-treated in two steps: solution and aging. The
post-weld heat treatment variables examined in this study included post-weld heat treatment temperatures of 705C,
775C, and 845C and post-weld heat treatment time of 224 h in 2-h increments. The resulting materials were exam-
ined using the full factorial design of experiments to determine the resulting material hardness and observed with optical
microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in the fusion zone and heat-affected
zone. The results show that a longer post-weld heat treatment time corresponds to larger g0 precipitates and a smaller
amount of Cr23C6 at the grain boundaries, which can decrease the overall hardness. The post-weld heat treatment anal-
ysis indicates that an increase in the amount of g0 results in better mechanical properties for particles with octagonal
shapes and a small size. A factorial analysis, which was conducted on the relationship between the post-weld heat treat-
ment temperature and time to the hardness of the fusion zone, had a 95% confidence level.

Keywords
Post-weld heat treatment, Inconel X-750, microstructure, hardness, g0 precipitates

Date received: 16 December 2014; accepted: 11 February 2015

Academic Editor: Dr Liyuan Sheng

Introduction premature failures such as airfoil tip loss because of

Precipitation-hardened Ni-Cr alloys (X-750) are
strengthened by the formation of a gamma prime
phase,1 which exhibits a combination of good oxidation
resistance and high-temperature strength. However,
after welding, a full solution annealing, which is fol-
lowed by an aging treatment, is required to restore the
original mechanical properties in the fusion zone (FZ).
In addition, a single post-weld heat treatment (PWHT)
is usually insufficient because the aging temperature is
not sufficiently high to relieve the stress on the material
or prevent severe cracking from occurring.2 Turbine
blades fabricated from these materials frequently suffer
heat corrosion and low-cycle fatigue cracking.3 Inconel
X-750 can be used for applications that require high
strength at temperatures up to 700C because it exhibits
Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King
Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok,
Thailand
Corresponding author:
Prachya Peasura, Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of
Engineering, King Mongkuts University of Technology Thonburi
(KMUTT), Bangkok 10140, Thailand.
Email: prachya.pea@kmutt.ac.th

Creative Commons CC-BY: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
(http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without
further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (http://www.uk.sagepub.com/aboutus/
openaccess.htm).
2 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
excellent corrosion and oxidation resistances. This alloy
can be used at high temperatures, although the effects
of the g0 precipitation strengthening are lost when the
temperature increases. The alloy also exhibits excellent
properties at cryogenic temperatures. Inconel X-750 is
used in many applications such as for high-temperature
structural components of gas turbines, jet engine parts,
nuclear power plant applications, heat-treating fixtures,
forming tools, extrusion dies, rocket-engine thrust
chambers, and air-frame applications, which include
thrust reversers and hot-air ducting systems.4
The aging treatments in Ni-based superalloys are
performed to nucleate and grow secondary g0 precipi-
tates. Grain boundaries are the weak links in superal-
loys and easily become rupture origin sites at high
temperature because of defects in the microstructure.
Some carbides and g0 particles at the boundaries cause
important effects on the high-temperature creep
strength and plasticity of nickel-based superalloys.5 A
PWHT is generally applied to homogenize the as-
welded microstructure to relieve residual welding stres-
ses and re-strengthen the welds through precipitation
hardening. The development of a suitable PWHT pri-
marily depends on the initial microstructure in the FZ
and heat-affected zone (HAZ). A proper understanding
of the precipitation-hardening mechanism is essential.6
This work focuses on the effects of PWHT on the
microstructure and hardness in the FZ and HAZ for
an Inconel X-750 superalloy. The optimum values for
the variables in the PWHT were determined by a full
factorial design of experiments. In this case, the effects
of the aging time and temperature and their interac-
tions were determined.7
Methodology
Materials and welding method
The material used for the test specimen was Inconel X-
750. The specimens were 2.8 mm thick, 50 mm long,
and 50 mm wide. The details of the chemical composi-
tion of the material are given in Table 1.
The specimens were welded using a gas tungsten arc
welding (GTAW) process without adding any filler
metal. The welding current was set at 80 A, and a
direct current electrode negative (DCEN) was used.
The welding velocity was set at 12 mm/s. A tungsten
electrode (EW-Th2) with a diameter of 2.4 mm was
used. Argon was used as the shielding gas with a flow
rate of 12 l/min.
Table 1. Chemical composition of the Inconel X-750 by weight (%).
Chemical element Ni Cr
Wt% 73.2 15.1
PWHT
After welding, the specimens were treated using the
PWHT in two steps. The first step consisted of solution
annealing at 1150C before air cooling. The second step
was the aging heat treatment. These two steps com-
prised the conditions examined in the experimental
study. Different PWHT temperatures and times were
examined: 705C, 775C, and 845C8 and between 2
and 24 h in 2-h increments, respectively. Each aging
treatment condition was randomly conducted, where
each condition was tested three times.
The welded specimens were transversely sectioned to
the weld and polished using standard metallographic
techniques. The microstructures in the FZ and the
HAZ were examined and analyzed with an optical
microscope. The carbide and g0 precipitates were exam-
ined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the
chemical composition was quantitatively evaluated
using an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS).
Etching was performed using Marbles reagent (10 g
CuSO4, 50 mL HCl, and 50 mL H2O) for 5 s to observe
the microstructure with optical microscopy (OM) and
Riveras reagent (40% glycerol, 20% HNO3, and 10%
HCl) at 6 V DC for the SEM.9 The microhardness
(HV) was determined using a 1000 g load to observe
the effects of the PWHT.
Results and discussion
Microstructure analysis
As observed in the FZ and HAZ, the microstructure at
the weld joints is austenite in the parent phase and car-
bide from the PWHT.10 The SEM images for the speci-
men in Figure 1 show the PWHT condition with an
austenite matrix (g), M23C6, metallic carbides (MCs)
and gamma prime (g0 ) phases. The M23C6 carbides
along the grain boundaries are believed to be Cr23C6, as
shown in Figure 2(a), and were analyzed using the EDS
technique, as shown in Figure 3. Continuous instances
of Cr23C6 carbides along the grain boundary may help
prevent grain boundary sliding, which increases the
material hardness and strength.11 However, large
amounts of this type of carbide may deteriorate the
cohesion between the grain boundaries. This type of
carbide may help prevent the excess formation of
M23C6 carbides and maintain the cohesion of the grain
boundaries. Another type of MC carbide, which is
believed to be an niobium carbide (NbC), was found in
Fe Ti Al Nb
5.2 2.3 0.8 0.8
Peasura and Poopat
Figure 1. Microstructure of Inconel X-750 welded without filler metal: (a) as-weld and (b) solution treatment at 1150C.
Figure 2. SEM image, showing the fusion zone after a PWHT
with a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT time of 2 h.
the grain interior based on the EDS results in Figures
2(b) and 4.
Figure 5 depicts the microstructures of the Inconel
X-750 weld specimen, which comprises the FZ weld
interface and HAZ. Figure 5(a) shows that in the FZ,
small dendrites are distributed throughout the FZ and
that the dendrite forms in the cooling direction of the
interface, which determines the fusion center. For the
HAZ, an austenite (g) phase matrix comprises the main
structural composition with twin line and NbC carbide
distribution in the parent phase.12 The hardness of the
weld specimens is 187.3 and 177.1 HV in the FZ and
HAZ, respectively. Figure 5(b) shows that the FZ has
predominantly degraded into a grain of the g phase
matrix. Due to the temperature and with sufficient
time, the dendrite decomposes to form a g grain. The
grain in the HAZ consists of the g phase matrix and
increases during expansion.13 The hardness of the
3
solution specimens is 166.5 and 163.1 HV in the FZ
and HAZ, respectively. A comparison of the micro-
structures of the weld specimen and the solution treat-
ment specimen revealed clear differences. When the
solution heat treatment creates a g phase with large
grain size, the NbC carbide phase partially dissolves
into the parent phase, which can affect the hardness in
the FZ and HAZ. Therefore, a PWHT is necessary to
improve the microstructure and mechanical properties.
The results show that for the PWHT specimen that
was aged at 705C for 2 h, as shown in Figure 6(a),
Cr23C6 is found continuously along the grain bound-
ary. The specimen that was aged at 705C for 22 h
exhibits grain boundary discontinuities, as shown in
Figure 6(b). The sample in Figure 6(c), which was aged
at 775C for 22 h, shows scattered carbides along the
grain boundary and large quantities of NbC because of
the long PWHT time. Figure 6(d) shows an optical
micrograph of the FZ with discontinuous instances of
Cr23C6 at the grain boundary compared to the speci-
men that was aged at 705C for 2 h. For high PWHT
times and temperatures, the quantity of Cr23C6 at the
grain boundary tends to decrease. Moreover, excessive
PWHT temperatures may result in increasing amounts
and sizes of NbC-type carbides in the parent phase.14
PWHT specimens of the Inconel X-750, which was
aged at 705C for 2 h, show discontinuities of Cr23C6
in the austenite grain boundary of the HAZ, as shown
in Figure 7(a). Figure 7(b) shows an HAZ with contin-
uous instances of Cr23C6 at the grain boundary in the g
phase matrix.15 The specimen that was aged at 775C
for 22 h exhibits grain boundary discontinuities, and
the amount tends to increase, as shown in Figure 7(c).
The specimen in Figure 7(d), which was aged at 845C
for 22 h, shows an increased size of Cr23C6 and discon-
tinuities in the amount of carbides along the grain
4 Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Figure 3. SEM images of the microstructure after a PWHT with (a) a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT time of 2 h and
(b) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of 22 h.

Figure 4. Quantitative analysis of the particle composition by EDS at the grain boundary.

boundary. The observed results in the HAZ of the
PWHT aged specimens demonstrate that the lowest
temperature and aging times result in a lower amount
of Cr23C6 carbides at the grain boundaries. With
increasing temperatures and time, Cr23C6 has a contin-
uous density at the grain boundaries, whereas the high
temperatures and time of PWHT lead to discontinuous
Cr23C6 at the grain boundaries and a larger size.
The microstructural analysis of the PWHT effects
indicates that in this welding operation, the base mate-
rial solidifies as austenite with randomly distributed g0 -
Ni3Al phases with Nb-rich MC and Cr23C6 primary
carbides.16,17 In this study, at a PWHT temperature of
705C and a PWHT time of 2 h, scattered g0 carbides
were observed in the parent phase using SEM, as shown
in Figure 8(a). At the high SEM magnification in
Peasura and Poopat 5

Figure 5. Quantitative analysis of the particle composition by EDS of the NbC.

Figure 6. Optical micrographs, showing the fusion zone after the PWHT with (a) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT
time of 2 h, (b) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of 22 h, (c) a PWHT temperature of 775C and a PWHT time of
22 h, and (d) a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT time of 22 h.
6 Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Figure 7. Optical micrographs, showing the heat-affected zone after the PWHT with (a) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a
PWHT time of 2 h, (b) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of 22 h, (c) a PWHT temperature of 775C and a PWHT
time of 22 h, and (d) a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT time of 22 h.

Figure 4, the scattered fine g0 precipitates were observed
around the interior of the grains. Because there are few
instances of g0 precipitates and the sizes are small, the
FZ exhibits a low hardness. As observed in Figure 8(b),
when the PWHT time increases, the size of the g0 preci-
pitates transforms to various polygon shapes.18 Further
increases in the PWHT temperature result in the trans-
formation to a spherical shape and larger sizes, as
shown in Figure 8(c). However, at a PWHT tempera-
ture of 845C for 22 h, the g0 precipitates increase in
size but exhibit an octagonal shape, as shown in
Figure 8(d). As a result of large PWHT temperature
and time, the g0 precipitates have sufficient time to
grow. The PWHT results in well-dispersed g0 precipi-
tates that yield better overall mechanical properties
for the superalloy, if the particles have octagonal
shapes and small sizes.
In the HAZ of the weld of the X-750 alloy, at a
PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of
2 h, scattered g0 carbides were found in the g phase
matrix and had a spherical shape, as observed using
SEM and shown in Figure 9(a). As observed in
Figure 9(b), when the PWHT time increases, the size
of the g0 precipitates reduces and transforms to vari-
ous small spherical shapes and the g0 intensity
decreases. Figure 9(c) shows an HAZ with both
spherical- and polygon-shaped g0 precipitates. As
observed in Figure 9(d), when the PWHT tempera-
ture and time increase, the large g0 precipitates trans-
form to various polygonal and spherical shapes with
an increase in g0 intensity. The SEM results of the
HAZ show that the lowest temperature and aging
time correspond to the lowest phase intensity and
purely spherical shape. However, with increasing
temperature and times, the g0 intensity increases with
a corresponding reduction in g0 size and a transfor-
mation of its shape from spherical to polygonal.19,20
With an aging time of 22 h, there are both spherical
and polygonal g0 precipitates but with increased den-
sity according to the SEM results.
Peasura and Poopat 7

Figure 8. SEM images of the microstructure of sample after a PWHT with (a) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of
2 h, (b) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of 22 h, (c) a PWHT temperature of 775C and a PWHT time of 22 h,
and (d) a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT of time 22 h.

Figure 9. SEM images of the HAZ microstructure of specimens after a PWHT with (a) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a
PWHT time of 2 h, (b) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of 22 h, (c) a PWHT temperature of 775C and a PWHT
time of 22 h, and (d) a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT time of 22 h.
8 Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Figure 10. SEM images of the microstructures after a PWHT with (a) a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT time of 2 h,
(b) a PWHT temperature of 705C and a PWHT time of 22 h, (c) a PWHT temperature of 775C and a PWHT time of 22 h, and
(d) a PWHT temperature of 845C and a PWHT time of 24 h.

Hardness analysis with the highest average hardness value (approximately

The Vickers microhardness in the FZ was measured 376.23 HV) had a PWHT temperature of 705C and a
PWHT time of 22 h, whereas a PWHT temperature of
five times for each specimen, and the average value was
845C resulted in the lowest hardness value. It can also
used for the response calculation. The material hard-
be concluded that hardness increases with a corre-
ness values were calculated at various PWHT condi-
sponding increase in PWHT temperature and times.
tions. The hardness of the weld of the test specimen is
Thus, the PWHT temperature of 705C and time of
187.3 HV initially and 166.5 HV after the solution was
22 h lead to small g0 size, which is consistent with the
annealed; the hardness of the specimens is fairly con-
observed largest hardness value, as shown in Figure 12.
stant during the initial PWHT time of 2 h, and all
The SEM micrograph in Figure 10 compares the g0
hardness values increase with a corresponding increase
precipitates in the specimens. Figure 10(a) also shows
in PWHT time. The specimens with a PWHT tempera-
the microstructure for the specimen with a PWHT at
ture of 775C and PWHT time of 222 h are usually
845C for 2 h, which shows an increase in the density of
the hardest specimens, but the hardness decreases at a
the g0 precipitates with a predominantly spherical shape
PWHT time of 24 h. Because of the increases in
and a g0 size of 92 nm. The hardness tends to increase
PWHT temperature and time, the size of the g0 area
for the PWHT of 22 h at 705C. The g0 precipitates dis-
increases, which decreases the hardness. However, the
solve into the grain, whereas smaller sized particles of
PWHT temperature of 705C and PWHT time of 22 h
49 nm remain, as shown in Figure 10(b). The g0 precipi-
created the most suitable conditions for Ni, Al, and Ti
tates have a polygonal shape, which results in a maxi-
precipitates, which results in the smallest size of g0 mum material hardness. Figure 10(c) shows a PWHT
(49 nm) and the largest hardness value.21 The specimen of 775C for 22 h, where the g0 precipitates have a size
Peasura and Poopat
Figure 11. Residual plot of the hardness.
of 70 nm and large spherical and polygonal shapes, par-
ticularly compared to the g0 precipitates from the
PWHT of 705C for 22 h. At a PWHT temperature of
845C and a PWHT time of 24 h, over-aging in the FZ
results in coarsening, coalescence, and agglomeration of
the primary g0 precipitate, which causes the lowest
hardness value of all tested samples.22 This phenom-
enon can be explained using the large g0 size of 96 nm
and polygonal shape of the g0 precipitates, which is
caused by the insufficient PWHT time and temperature
for g0 precipitation and can contribute to the lower
hardness,23 as shown in the SEM image in Figure 10(d).
Experimental analysis
A data check was performed to ensure the validity of
the experimental model. The hypothesis is that the pat-
tern of the residuals obtained from the experimental
data is based on the principle eij ; NID (0, s2), in which
the residuals are normally and independently distribu-
ted (NID). The mean 0 and s2 were examined to ensure
that the experimental data are accurate and reliable.24
To determine the suitability of the measured hardness
values prior to determining the factor responses, the
data must be tested for randomness. The data collected
were distributed in a normal distribution, as shown in
Figure 11. The results show that the data likely contain
an appropriate amount of randomness, and therefore,
the experimental results for hardness may be analyzed.
9
Figure 11 shows the distribution of the residuals in
the normal distribution. The normal distribution was
used to test the residual distribution. The results show
that the residuals were distributed along a straight line
from the middle of the histogram. The residual value of
the distribution was a normal shape and the residuals
were estimated to have a normal distribution.25 In
dependent audits of the residual values were based on
the distribution chart. When considering the distribu-
tion of the data on the chart, it was found that the dis-
tribution was pattern free. Additionally, the residual
values were shown to be independent of each other. In
the residual value chart, which is compared with the
distribution of all the factors, the residual value at each
factor level in the distribution of positive and negative
balances was estimated so that the average of the resi-
duals is similar.
After completing the examination of the model for
data suitability, an analyst was employed to determine
the effects of the experimental factors. The results for
each factor, as well as their interactions, are shown in
Table 2. The PWHT time and temperature interaction
effects on the hardness were determined for confidence
level of 95% (p-value \ 0.05). The results indicate that
the data could be predicted using the model. The
R2(adj) of the collected data was approximately
98.81%, which shows that the response can be
described by the experimental factors as shown in
Table 2.
10 Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Table 2. Analysis of variance for hardness versus PWHT temperature and PWHT time.

Source DF SEQ SS ADJ SS ADJ MS F p

PWHT temperature 2 12,829.6 12,829.6 6414.8 1384.69 0.000

PWHT time 11 28,218.6 28,218.6 2565.3 553.75 0.000
PWHT temperature 3 PWHT time 22 331.7 331.7 15.1 3.25 0.000
Error 72 333.6 4.6
Total 107 41,713.5
S = 2.15237 R2 = 99.20% R2(adj) = 98.81%

PWHT: post-weld heat treatment; DF: degree of freedom; SEQ SS: sequential sum of squares; ADJ SS: adjusted sum of squares; ADJ MS: adjusted
mean squares.

Figure 12. Interaction plot for the hardness.

Figure 12 shows the effects of the PWHT tempera-
ture and time on the hardness. An interaction between
these variables is seen when the lines in the plot are not
parallel. Regarding the improvement of the mechanical
properties of Inconel X-750 by PWHT, the line plot
indicates that there was a strong interaction between
the temperature of the treatment and the time it was
applied. The results show that the highest hardness
achieved during the PWHT was 376.4 HV for a PWHT
time of 22 h and a PWHT temperature of 705C.
Conclusion
In this work, the effects of the PWHT on the micro-
structure and hardness of Inconel X-750 welds were
studied. The specimens were solutionized in an induc-
tion furnace before being air-cooled. PWHT tempera-
tures of 705C, 775C, and 845C and PWHT times of
224 h in 2-h increments were investigated. The FZ
and HAZ microstructures and the hardness distribu-
tion were examined and analyzed. The results indicate
that the PWHT temperature and time used during the
PWHT greatly affect both the microstructure and the
hardness of fusion. The results from this study are sum-
marized as follows:
(1) The microstructure of Inconel X-750 has twin
line, NbC, Cr23C6, and g0 precipitates in the
austenite phase matrix when the PWHT tem-
perature and time increase, which affects the
Cr23C6 density and large size in the grain
boundaries. For NbC, the amount and density
increase with PWHT temperature and time.
(2) The resulting PWHT weld specimens have an
increased hardness compared to the weld speci-
mens initial hardness of 187.3 HV. When the
PWHT time increases, the hardness for all
PWHT temperatures increases until a PWHT
time of 22 h, which corresponds to the highest
Peasura and Poopat
hardness values for all temperatures. The PWHT
that results in the hardest specimens occurs at
705C for 22 h, whereas the PWHT that results
in the lowest hardness occurs at 845C for 2 h.
(3) The PWHT affects the size and characteristics
of the g0 phase, where PWHT times of 220 h
result in the appearance of elliptical g0 with
sizes of 7090 nm. However, the 24 h of
PWHT at 845C results in treatment over-age,
which is evidenced by the appearance of oval-
and polygonal-shaped g0 regions with a g0 size
of 96 nm. The PWHT conditions that corre-
spond to the smallest g0 size (49 nm) are 705C
and 22 h, which produce the most hardened
specimen.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding
agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
References
1. Del Valle JA, Romero R and Picasso AC. Bauschinger
effect in age-hardened Inconel X-750 alloy. Mater Sci
Eng A Struct 2001; 311: 100107.
2. DuPont JN. Welding metallurgy and weldability of nickel-
base alloy. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2009,
pp.246248.
3. Ojo OA, Shidu RK and Chaturvedi MC. Microstructural
analysis of laser-beam welded directionally solidified
INCONEL 738. Mater Sci Technol 2007; 38: 858.
4. Lothongkum G, Khuanlieng W, Homkrajai W, et al.
Effect of pre-heat treatment on nano Y precipitation
and mechanical properties in wrought nickel base super-
alloy X 750. Acta Metal Slova 2006; 12: 8.
5. Tian G, Jia C, Wen Y, et al. Effect of solution cooling
rate on the Y precipitation behaviors of a Ni-base P/M
superalloy. J Univ Sci Technol B 2008; 15: 729734.
6. Cao X, Rivaux B, Jahazi M, et al. Effect of pre- and
post-weld heat treatment on metallurgical and tensile
properties of Inconel 718 alloy butt joints welded using 4
kW Nd:YAG laser. J Mater Sci 2009; 44: 45574571.
7. Montgomery DC. Design and analysis of experiments.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2005, pp.197216.
8. Davis JR. ASM specialty handbook: Nickel, Cobalt, and
their alloy. Materials Park, OH: ASM International, 2000.
9. Mills K. ASM handbook: metallography and microstruc-
tures, vol. 9. Materials Park, OH: ASM International,
1985.
11
10. Prachya P and Bovornchok P. Effect of post weld heat
treatment on fusion and heat affected zone microstruc-
ture and mechanical properties of Inconel X-750 welds.
Adv Mater Res 2011; 214: 108112.
11. Cieslak MJ. The welding and solidification metallurgy of
Alloy 625. Weld J 1991; 70: 49s56s.
12. Dehmolaei R, Shamanian M and Kermanpur A. Micro-
structural characterization of dissimilar welds between
alloy 800 and HP heat-resistant steel. Mater Charact
2008; 59: 14471454.
13. Peddle BE and Pickles CA. Carbide and hardness devel-
opment in the heat- affected zone of tempered and post
weld heat-treated 2.25Cr-1Mo steel weldments. J Mater
Eng Perform 2009; 5: 477488.
14. Lingenfelter A. Welding of Inconel alloy 718: a historical
overview, super-alloy 718. Warrendale, PA: The Minerals,
Metals & Materials Society, 1989.
15. Donachie MJ and Donachie SJ. Super-alloy: a technical
guide. Materials Park, OH: ASM International, 2002,
pp.3037.
16. Chen C, Zhang M, Zhang S, et al. Study on NiCrAl
coating alloyed on Inconel 718 Ni-Base alloy by high-
energy micro-arc alloying processing. Adv Sci Lett 2011;
4: 1001.
17. Picassoab A, Somozaab A and Tolleyc A. Nucleation,
growth and coarsening of Y precipitates in a Ni-Cr-Al-
based commercial superalloy during artificial aging. J
Alloy Compd 2009; 479: 129133.
18. Owczarski WA, Duvall DS and Sullivan CP. A model
for heat affected zone cracking in nickel base superalloys.
Weld J 1966; 45: 145s155s.
19. Owczarski WA and Duvall DS. Further heat affected
zone studies in heat resistant nickel alloys. Weld J 1967;
46: 23s32s.
20. Preuss M, Withers PJ and Baxter GJ. A comparison of
inertia friction welds in three nickel base superalloys.
Mater Sci Eng A: Struct 2006; 437: 39.
21. Wangyao P, Homkrajai W and Asavavisithchai S. Effect
of post weld heat treatments on TIG-welded microstruc-
tures of superalloy IN-738. Chiang Mai J Sci 2009; 36:
320330.
22. Guzman I, Granda E, Mendez R, et al. Particle size of
gamma prime as a result of vacuum heat treatment of
INCONEL 738 super alloy. J Mater Eng Perform 2013;
22: 11431148.
23. Sajjadi SA, Elahifar HR and Farhangi H. Effects of cool-
ing rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties
of the Ni-base superalloy UDIMET 500. J Alloy Compd
2008; 455: 215220.
24. Montgomery DC. Introduction to statistical quality con-
trol. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
25. Hicks CR. Fundamental concepts in the design of experi-
ments. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders College Pub-
lishing; Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1993.