Multi-material Inconel 718 – Aluminium parts targeting aerospace applications: A suitable combination of low-weight and thermal properties. (February 2023) - Marques, A.
Highlights: High-quality Inconel 718-Aluminium parts with no defects, such as pores or cracks. Good metallurgical bonding with no significant diffusion of elements (5 µm thickness) Inconel 718-Aluminium specimens display a lower density than the Inc718 bulk (<13 %) Thermal conductivity Inconel 718-Aluminium was 1.87 times higher than Inconel 718 bulk. Abstract: In this study, the combination of Inconel 718 (IN718) alloy, widely used in aerospace applications, and a highly conductive low-density Aluminium (Al) was hypothesized to achieve a disruptive solution with improved thermal conductivity and significantly lower weight, key aspects of aerospace industry. A multi-material IN718 – Al solution was designed and later fabricated by combining laser surface texturing and hot-pressing techniques. The multi-material IN718 – Al specimens were produced without significant defects and exhibited a significantly lower density than the IN718 bulk (<13 %), contributing to a weight decrease which can be considered strongly beneficial for improving energy efficiency of aerospace components. The Vickers' microhardness measurements were coherent results with literature and the interface between the two dissimilar materials exhibited a good metallurgical bonding with no significant diffusion of elements. The thermal conductivity of the multi-material IN718 – Al solution was 1.87 times higher than that of IN718 bulk. Multi-material IN718 – Al specimens have shown a high potential to decrease weight and enhance the thermal efficiency of an aerospace component.