IN792 DS Superalloy: Optimization of EB Welding and Post-Welding Heat Treatments

Electron beam (EB) welding has been used to realize the seams on 2 mm thick plates of directionally solidified (DS) IN792 superalloy. A grid of the samples has been prepared by varying the pass speed v from 1 to 2.5 m/min, while the other process parameters (power P = 1 kW, acceleration voltage T = 50 kV, beam current I = 20 mA) were kept constant. Experiments were carried out both at room temperature and with pre-heating at 200 °C or 300 °C. Once found the best process conditions (pre-heating at 300 °C; v = 2.5 m/min), the effect of post-welding heat treatments at 700 and 750 °C for increasing time up to 2 hours has been investigated.