Materials Transactions, Vol. 45, No. 2 (2004) pp.

342 to 345
#2004 The Japan Institute of Metals

High-Cycle Fatigue Properties at Cryogenic Temperatures

in INCONEL 718 Nickel-based Superalloy*1
Yoshinori Ono*2 , Tetsumi Yuri, Hideshi Sumiyoshi, Etsuo Takeuchi,
Saburo Matsuoka and Toshio Ogata
Materials Information Technology Station, National Institute for Materials Science (MITS/NIMS), Tsukuba 305-0047, Japan
High-cycle fatigue properties at 4 K, 77 K and 293 K were investigated in forged-INCONEL 718 nickel-based superalloy with a mean
gamma (
) grain size of 25 mm. In the present material, plate-like delta phase precipitated at
grain boundaries and niobium (Nb)-enriched MC
type carbides precipitated coarsely throughout the specimens. The 0.2% proof stress and the ultimate tensile strength of this alloy increased with
decreasing temperature, without decreasing elongation or reduction of area. High-cycle fatigue strengths also increased with decreasing
temperature although the fatigue limit at each temperature didnt appear even around 107 cycles. Fatigue cracks initiated near the specimen
surface and formed faceted structures around crack initiation sites. Fatigue cracks predominantly initiated from coarse Nb-enriched carbides and
faceted structures mainly corresponded to these carbides. In lower stress amplitude tests, however, facets were formed through transgranular
crack initiation and growth. These kinds of distinctive crack initiation behavior seem to lower the high-cycle fatigue strength below room
temperature in the present material.
(Received November 17, 2003; Accepted December 22, 2003)
Keywords: nickel-based superalloy, fatigue properties, cryogenic temperatures, fractography, fatigue crack initiation, microstructure

1.

Introduction

INCONEL 718 Ni-based superalloy (IN718) is a precipitation-strengthened material deriving from gamma prime
(
0 : L12 ) and gamma double prime (
00 : DO22 ). This alloy has
been widely used in the gas turbine and related applications
because of its good mechanical properties up to intermediate
temperatures (
923 K). Additionally, this alloy has been
used for structural materials in aerospace industry, since this
alloy has good weldability and good tensile properties in
strength and ductility at cryogenic temperatures.1,2)
In recent years, the mechanical properties of structural
materials used for Japanese-built launch vehicles have been
studied with the aim of increasing their reliability.3,4) The
mechanical properties at cryogenic temperatures in IN718
need to be investigated since this alloy is used for, for
example, liquid oxygen turbo-pumps and there is few data on
high-cycle fatigue properties at cryogenic temperatures.
In this study, the high-cycle fatigue properties in forgedIN718 were investigated at 4 K, 77 K and 293 K, and
discussed in terms of how they correlate with aspects of
crack initiation sites.
2.

Experimental Procedure

The present material was hot-forged after 1473 K heating.

After this forging process, the material was solution-treated
at 1233 K for 3.6 ks, followed by water quenching. And then,
Table 1

a double aging treatment was conducted at 993 K and 898 K

for 28.8 ks, respectively. The chemical composition of the
present material is shown in Table 1. The microstructure of
this alloy was observed by scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).
Tensile tests and fatigue tests were carried out at 4 K, 77 K,
and 293 K. Tensile tests were carried out using cylindrical
specimens 6.25 mm in diameter and 35 mm in gauge length
and at an initial strain rate of 2:4  104 s1 . The fatigue test
specimens were an hourglass-type with a minimum diameter
of 4.5 or 6 mm. Fatigue tests were performed using sinusoidal
waveform loading and uniaxial tension-tension loading under
stress ratio (R) of 0.01. Test frequencies of 4 Hz at 4 K and
10 Hz at 77 K and 293 K were chosen to minimize specimen
temperature rise.
Fracture surfaces and crack initiation sites of failed
specimens were studied by SEM and EDS.
3.

Results

3.1 Microstructure
Figure 1 shows SEM backscattered electron images (a), (b)
and a SEM secondary electron image (c) of the present
material. The present material consists of equiaxed gamma
(
) grains and the mean size of
grains is about 25 mm (Fig.
1(a)). Plate-like delta-phase (: Ni3 Nb5)) precipitated along
grain boundaries (Fig. 1(b)) during the solution treatment at
1233 K. On the other hand, coarse precipitates were found

Chemical composition of the alloy used (mass%).

Si

Mn

Cu

Ni

Cr

Mo

Co

Al

Ti

Nb

Fe

0.04

0.08

0.06

0.003

0.001

0.02

53.05

18.03

3.08

0.09

0.52

0.96

0.004

4.95

bal.

*1This Paper was Presented at the Autumn Meeting of the Japan Institute of

Metals, held in Sapporo, on October 13, 2003

Cryogenic Materials Group

*2Researcher,

High-Cycle Fatigue Properties at Cryogenic Temperatures in INCONEL 718 Nickel-based Superalloy

(c)

(b)

(a)

343

Fig. 2

phase
(Ni3Nb)

200m

5 m

50m

Fig. 1 SEM backscattered electron images showing a typical microstructure (a),  phase precipitated on grain boundaries (b),
respectively. SEM secondary electron image showing distribution of coarse precipitates (c).

(a)

(b)

Nb mapping

(c)

C mapping

30m

Fig. 2 SEM secondary electron image showing a magnied image of the square area in Fig. 1(c) (a), and niobium (b) and carbon (c)
mapping by EDS, respectively.

3.2 Tensile properties and Fatigue properties

Tensile properties in the present material are summarized
in Table 2. The 0.2% proof stress and the ultimate tensile
strength increased with decreasing temperature. However,
the total elongation and the reduction of area were almost the
same below 293 K and didnt decrease at cryogenic temperatures even with the increase in the 0.2% proof stress and the
ultimate tensile strength. This result represents that IN718
has good tensile strength and ductility even at cryogenic
temperatures. Figure 3 shows S-N diagrams for the present
material. The fatigue strength increased with decreasing
temperature similarly to the tensile strengths, although the
fatigue limits didnt appear even around 107 cycles.

Table 2

Tensile properties in INCONEL 718 superalloy used in this study.

Tensile properties

4K

77 K

293 K

0.2% proof stress (MPa)

1414

1327

1174

Ultimate tensile strength (MPa)

Total elongation (%)

1822
15.3

1640
12.5

1369
10.6

Reduction of area (%)

14.2

13.1

14.6

1000

4K
77 K
293 K

900
Stress Amplitude, a / MPa

throughout the specimens, as shown in Fig. 1(c). Figure 2

shows the magnied image of them and results of the EDS
mapping. Each size of coarse precipitates is around 1030 mm
(Fig. 2(a)). However, they tend to exist aggregately and size
of one aggregating area is over 100 mm in longitudinal
direction. EDS revealed that these coarse precipitates were
mainly Nb-enriched carbides (MC-type carbides)6) (Figs.
2(b), (c)).

800

4K

700

77 K
600
500

293 K

400
300

Uni-axial, R=0.01
200
3
10

Not broken
5

10
10
10
10
Number of Cycles to Failure, Nf

10

Fig. 3 S-N diagrams at 4 K, 77 K and 293 K for INCONEL 718 alloy used
in this study.

3.3 Fractography
Figure 4 represents typical SEM micrographs showing the
fracture surfaces of the specimens fatigue-tested at 77 K.
Basically, the aspects of the fracture surfaces were almost the
same in the specimens failed at 4 K, 77 K and 293 K. Fatigue
cracks initiated near the specimen surface (Figs. 4(a), (b)),
and faceted structures (we abbreviate each faceted structure
to facet) were observed around the crack initiation site (Fig.
4(b)). As a result of EDS mapping, the arrowed facet in Fig.
4(b), which seems to be the crack initiation site, and some
other facets being around the crack initiation site were found
to be Nb-enriched areas (Fig. 4(c)). This result reveals that
the fatigue cracks predominantly initiated from Nb-enriched
carbides located near the specimen surface. In other
precipitation-strengthened superalloys, similar results were
reported in low-cycle or high-cycle fatigue tests at room

344

Y. Ono et al.
SE image

(a)

Nb mapping
(b)

a=734MPa

(a)

carbide

(b)

50m

500m

(c)

(d)

a =636MPa

(b)

carbide
50m
(e)

(f)

(c)

Nb mapping

a =504MPa

50m

carbide

50m

Fig. 5 SEM secondary electron images showing the fatigue crack initiation
sites (a), (c), (e), and niobium mapping by EDS (b), (d), (f), respectively.
These specimens were fatigue-tested at 4 K.

temperature7,8) and at 700 K.9) However, the aspects of the

crack initiation sites were dierent in lower stress amplitude
tests. Figure 5 shows secondary electron images and Nb
mappings by EDS around the fatigue crack initiation sites of
the specimens fatigue-tested at 4 K. In higher stress amplitude tests, the facets, which seemed to be crack initiation sites
or were observed around crack initiation sites, corresponded
to the Nb-enriched carbides (Figs. 5(a), (b), (c), (d)).
However, in lower stress amplitude tests, there was no Nbenriched area identied as crack initiation site (Fig. 5(f)) and
the size of each facet was larger than in the higher stress
amplitude tests (Fig. 5(e)).
Figure 6 represents the microstructure under the crack
initiation sites of the specimen fatigue-tested at 4 K. The
fracture surface of this specimen is shown in Fig. 5(e). Fig.
6(a) reveals that, in the lower stress amplitude tests, the facets
were formed through transgranular cracking. These observations suggest that the crack initiation behavior changes
depending on the mean stress. In Fig. 6(b), cracks penetrate
Nb-enriched carbides and this observation infers that the
cracking in Nb-enriched carbide cause the fatigue failure in
case the carbide is identied as crack initiation site (Fig. 4).
4.

Discussion

It is known that there is a good correlation between fatigue

limit (w : fatigue strength at 107 cycles) and ultimate tensile

(a)

et

Main crack propagation direction

fac

Fig. 4 SEM micrographs showing fracture surface (a), the vicinity of

fatigue crack initiation site (b) and niobium mapping by EDS for the same
area shown in (b) (c). The specimen was fatigue-tested at 77 K;
a 427 MPa, Nf 2; 883; 070.

facet

50m

(b)
Cracking
in carbide

facet

Applied stress

Cracking
in carbide
20m

Fig. 6 SEM backscattered electron images showing the microstructure

under the crack initiation site in the specimen fatigue-tested at 4 K;
a 504 MPa, Nf 8452770. Photograph (b) is the magnied image of
the square area in photograph (a).

strength (u ) in case where the fatigue crack initiates at the

specimen surface. This correlation has been characterized by
the empirical equation w Cu .10) C is the constant. At
room temperature, C is about 0.52 under R 1 on various
tempered martensitic steels and aluminum alloys,11) and 0.42
under R 0 on various tempered martensitic steels.12)
Reecting this relationship for fatigue limit, the relationship
between the stress amplitude to the ultimate tensile strength
(a =u ) and number of cycles to failure (Nf ) is expressed as
an unique curve for the materials in which the fatigue crack
initiates at the specimen surface.11) Figure 7 shows the

High-Cycle Fatigue Properties at Cryogenic Temperatures in INCONEL 718 Nickel-based Superalloy

5.

Ratio of Stress Amplitude to

Ultimate Tensile Strength, a / u

0.60

0.50

4K

W /B= 0.42

0.40

0.30

4K
77 K
293 K
open : carbide
solid : transgranular
for various steels12)

77 K
293 K

0.20
Uni-axial, R=0.01
Not broken
0.10
3
4
5
6
7
10
10
10
10
10
Number of Cycles to Failure, Nf

10

Fig. 7 Relationship between ratio of stress amplitude (a ) to ultimate

tensile strength (u ) and number of cycles to failure.

relationship between ratio of the stress amplitude to the

ultimate tensile strength (a =u ) and number of cycles to
failure (Nf ). In the present material, the a =u value at 107
cycles is estimated about 0.25 irrespective of test temperatures and is fairly lower than those of steels (C 0:42), in
which fatigue crack initiates from the specimen surface
without forming facets as observed in the present material.
This result suggests that carbide or transgranular crack
initiation as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 results in lowering the
fatigue strength in longer-life region in the present material.
In the high-strength steels whose u exceeds 1200 MPa,
fatigue cracks originate mainly from inclusions such as
Al2 O3 or CaO in the high-cycle region, and the ratio of w
values (fatigue strengths at 108 cycles) to ultimate tensile
strength is clearly lower than steels in which fatigue cracks
initiate at the specimen surface.13) Additionally, it was
reported that the transglanular crack initiation caused by
heterogeneous deformation is related with low fatigue
strength in longer-life region in other Ni-based superalloys14)
or titanium alloy.4)
It is dicult to elucidate the mechanism on a transition in
crack initiation behavior in the present material in this paper.
However, reecting the results obtained in this study, one of
important factors for improving the high-cycle fatigue
properties at cryogenic temperatures is to control the size
or distribution of Nb-enriched carbides. In other words,
rening the carbides or reducing the volume fraction of
carbides leads to the improvement of high-cycle fatigue
properties. One more important factor seems to rene

grains for improving high-cycle fatigue properties at low
stress amplitude. This is because ne grains are eective
resistance for short fatigue crack propagation, in which facets
are formed.15)

345

Conclusions

High-Cycle fatigue properties at cryogenic temperatures

and fracture surfaces of the failed specimens were investigated in forged-INCONEL718, which is used for the
Japanese-built launch vehicles. The results obtained are as
follows:
(1) The 0.2% proof stress and the ultimate tensile strength
of this alloy increased with decreasing temperature,
without decreasing elongation or reduction of area. At
cryogenic temperatures, fatigue strengths in longer-life
region increased in response to increments in tensile
strength. However, the fatigue limits dont appear even
around 107 cycles at each temperature.
(2) Fatigue cracks initiated near the specimen surface.
Fatigue cracks predominantly initiated from coarse Nbenriched carbides. However, the transgranular crack
initiation occurs in lower stress amplitude tests. These
kinds of distinctive crack initiation behavior seem to
lower the high-cycle fatigue strength below room
temperature in the present material.
REFERENCES
1) K. Hasegawa, K. Ando, S. Kitade, M. Sakamoto, Y. Fukushima and K.
Okita: Trans. Jpn. Soc. Mech. Eng. A61 (1995) 17071712.
2) S. Hamai, K. Satoh, Y. Sugiura, H. Manako and Y. Fukushima: J. the
Japan Society for heat treatment 40 (2000) 232237.
3) T. Yuri, Y. Ono and T. Ogata: J. Japan Inst. Metals 66 (2002) 1287
1292.
4) Y. Ono, T. Yuri, H. Sumiyoshi, S. Matsuoka and T. Ogata: Mater.
Trans. 44 (2003) 17021705.
5) P. E. Mosser, G. Leconte, J. Leray, A. Lasalmonie and Y. Honnorat:
Superalloy 718-Metallurgy and Applications, ed. E. A. Loria, (The
Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 1989) pp. 179188.
6) C. Chen, R. G. Thompson and D. W. Davis: Superalloys 718, 625 and
Various Derivatives, ed. E. A. Loria, (The Minerals, Metals &
Materials Society, 1991) pp. 8196.
7) M. Gell and G. R. Leverant: Trans. Metall. Soc. AIME 242 (1968)
18691879.
8) T. Denda, P. L. Bretz and J. K. Tien: Metall. Trans. 23A (1992) 519
526.
9) C. Ruiz, A. Obabueki and K. Gillespie: Superalloys 1992, ed. S. D.
Antolovich, R. W. Stusrud, R. A. MacKay, D. L. Anton, T. Khan, R. D.
Kissinger and D. L. Klarstrom, (The Minerals, Metals & Materials
Society, 1992) pp. 3342.
10) Y. Murakami: Metal fatigue, eects of small defects and nonmetallic
inclusions, (Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd, 2002).
11) S. Matsuoka, N. Nagashima and S. Nishijima: Mater. Strength Data
Sheet Technical Document No. 17, Tokyo: National Research Institute
for Metals, (1997). (in Japanese)
12) S. Nishijima et al.: Mater. Strength Data Sheet Technical Document
No. 5, Tokyo: National Research Institute for Metals, (1989). (in
Japanese)
13) T. Abe, Y. Furuya and S. Matsuoka: Trans. Jpn. Soc. Mech. Eng. A67
(2001) 19881995. (in Japanese)
14) M. Gell and G. R. Leverant: Ordered alloys, ed. B. H. Kear, C. T. Sims,
N. S. Stolo and J. H. Westbrook, (Claitors Publishing Division, 1970)
pp. 505523.
15) C. W. Brown, J. E. King and M. A. Hicks: Met. Sci. 18 (1984) 374380.