Surface modification of cast inconel 740 superalloy by heat-assisted friction stir processing

Cast In740 Ni-based alloy with large grains generally show remarkable high temperature strength. However, this alloy is still have insufficient surface microstructure-dependent properties. In this study, for improvement of surface properties, surface modification of a cast In740 Ni-based superalloy was successfully performed by friction stir processing using a conventional two-horsepower milling machine and by additional heating to facilitate plastic flow of the hard alloy. Without using a high-power heavy stirring machine, a notable reduction in grain size of 2.9 μm was achieved and a corresponding 30% increase in Vickers hardness was observed. The microstructure in the stir zone was analyzed in terms of the grain size and precipitate distribution. The result of the potential dynamic polarization test and in-situ acoustic emission monitoring show that electrochemical corrosion resistance was improved by this surface modification process.