Surface integrity and mechanical properties of small elements fabricated through LPBF and post-processed with heat treatment and abrasive machining

The present research analyzes the impact of heat treatment atmosphere followed by finishing surface machining of small elements of Inconel 939 fabricated through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The analysis involved annealing in two gas mediums, solution treatment, and aging to achieve the desired microstructure and mechanical properties. The finishing surface was performed using various variants of abrasive machining. A more than fivefold reduction in the average roughness height Ra from 5.6 µm to 1.15 µm was achieved using metal balls as an abrasive, which was required for further processing. Residual stress tests have shown that due to heat and abrasive treatment, tensile stresses change into compressive ones. After printing, samples are characterized by tensile residual stresses on the surface (+ 428 MPa), while after heat treatment, compressive stresses occur (− 179 MPa). Abrasive machining with metal balls increases the value of compressive stresses to − 464 MPa. In addition, the impact of post-processing on the microstructure of Inconel 939 was discussed in terms of mechanical properties. The yield strength of 1184 MPa and elongation values of 19.3% were obtained for samples after HT in an argon atmosphere and abrasive machining with a ceramics roller. These studies provide valuable new information on the effective heat treatment and optimization of the finishing machining of Inconel 939, especially in achieving the desired surface roughness, microstructure, and mechanical properties for aerospace applications.