Application of Synchrotron X-Ray Imaging and Diffraction in Additive Manufacturing:A Review

Additive manufacturing(AM)is a rapid prototyping technology based on the idea of discrete accumulation which off ers an advantage of economically fabricating a component with complex geometries in a rapid design-to-manufacture cycle.However,various internal defects,such as balling,cracks,residual stress and porosity,are inevitably occurred during AM due to the complexity of laser/electron beam-powder interaction,rapid melting and solidification process,and microstructure evolution.The existence of porosity defects can potentially deteriorate the mechanical properties of selective laser melting(SLM)components,such as material stiff ness,hardness,tensile strength,and fatigue resistance performance.Synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction are important non-destructive means to elaborately characterize the internal defect characteristics and mechanical properties of AM parts.This paper presents a review on the application of synchrotron X-ray in identifying and verifying the quality and requirement of AM parts.Defects,microstructures and mechanical properties of printed components characterized by synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction are summarized in this review.Subsequently,this paper also elaborates on the online characterization of the evolution of the microstructure during AM using synchrotron X-ray imaging,and introduces the method for measuring AM stress by X-ray diffraction(XRD).Finally,the future application of synchrotron X-ray characterization in the AM is prospected.