Effect of Heating Rate on the Pressureless Sintering Densification of a Nickel-Based Superalloy

Pressureless sintering of Inconel 718 has important technological applications for the densification of metal injection molding or additive manufacturing of parts with powder/binder systems. The effect of heating rates ranging from 15 to 200 K/minute on the sintering behavior of fine (−325 mesh) Inconel 718 powders was studied using the master sintering curve (MSC) concept. A pressureless pulsed electric current sintering setup was used to heat samples. The temperature at the onset of sintering increased as the heating rate increased. The formation of a supersolidus liquid fraction was shifted toward higher temperatures for increased heating rates. The apparent activation energy of sintering was obtained by least squares fitting of the sintering data to the MSC and was in good agreement with the lattice diffusion activation energy of the alloying elements present in Inconel 718. The MSC followed different kinetics for low heating rates (≤50 K/minute) and high heating rates (≥75 K/minute), and these differences were related to liquation kinetics.