The fatigue properties of P/M superalloys can be significantly damaged by defects, which act as sites for fatigue fracture initiation. These defects can be introduced as inclusions either during the melting operation, during powder atomization or during subsequent handling.
Equipments for producing cleaner powders by Ar gas atomization have been designed and installed, and the properties of produced MERL76 superalloy powders were examined. As a result, this method was capable of producing fine and clean powders with an average grain size of 56 μm and an oxygen content of less than 100 ppm. Results also indicated that the amount of non-metallic inclusions of produced powders was less than those in the commercialized powders, which was detected by the new water elutriation method.