Understanding the Effects of CoAl₂O₄ Inoculant Additions on Microstructure in Additively Manufactured Inconel 718 Processed Via Selective Laser Melting

The effect of varying amounts of CoAl₂O₄ inoculant ranging from 0 to 2 wt pct on the microstructure evolution of Inconel 718(IN718) fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) was evaluated. Characterization of the as-built microstructure revealed that addition of CoAl₂O₄ resulted in a modest degree of grain refinement with a slight increase in microstructural anisotropy. Increasing the total CoAl₂O₄ content beyond 0.2 wt pct resulted in severe agglomeration of the non-metallic particles and the formation of slag inclusions measuring up to 100 μm in size present in the as-built microstructure. In addition to large agglomerates, the inoculant was chemically reduced to form a fine dispersion of submicron-sized Al₂O₃ particles throughout the IN718 matrix. The fine dispersion of oxides significantly hindered grain recrystallization during the post-fabrication heat treatment due to a Zener pinning effect. The findings from this study indicate in order to effectively utilize CoAl₂O₄ as a grain refining inoculant for additive manufacturing, the process parameters need to be optimized to avoid agglomeration of the non-metallic particles and other process-related defects.