Investigation of melt-growth alumina/aluminum titanate composite ceramics prepared by directed energy deposition

Al_(2)O_(3)/Al_(6)Ti_(2)O_(13) composite ceramics with low thermal expansion properties are promising for the rapid preparation of large-scale and complex components by directed energy deposition-laser based(DED-LB)technology.However,the wider application of DED-LB technology is limited due to the inadequate understanding of process conditions.The shaping quality,microstructure,and mechanical properties of Al_(2)O_(3)/Al_(6)Ti_(2)O_(13)(6 mol%TiO_(2))composite ceramics were systematically investigated as a function of energy input in an extensive process window.On this basis,the formation mechanism of solidification defects and the evolution process of microstructure were revealed,and the optimized process parameters were determined.Results show that high energy input improves the fluidity of the molten pool and promotes the uniform distribution and full growth of constituent phases,thus,facilitating the elimination of solidification defects,such as pores and strip gaps.In addition,the microstructure size is strongly dependent on the energy input,increasing when the energy input increases.Moreover,the morphology of theα-Al_(2)O_(3) phase gradually transforms from cellular into cellular dendrite with increasing energy input due to changing solidification conditions.Under the comprehensive influence of solidification defects and microstructure size,the fracture toughness and flexural strength of Al_(2)O_(3)/Al_(6)Ti_(2)O_(13) composite ceramics present a parabolic law behavior as the energy input increases.Optimal shaping quality and excellent mechanical properties are achieved at an energy input range of 0.36-0.54 W*min^(2) g^(-1) mm^(-1).Within this process window,the average microhardness,fracture toughness,and flexural strength of Al_(2)O_(3)/Al_(6)Ti_(2)O_(13) composite ceramics are up to 1640 Hv,3.87 MPa m^(1/2),and 227 MPa,respectively.This study provides practical guidance for determining the process parameters of DED-LB of melt growth Al_(2)O_(3)/Al_(6)Ti_(2)O_(13) composite ceramics.

Laser-assisted grinding of RB-SiC composites:Laser ablation behavior and mechanism

Laser ablation is an important process during Laser-Assisted Grinding(LAG)of hard and brittle materials.To realize controllable material removal during laser ablation of RB-SiC composites,ablation experiments under different Laser Energy Density(LAED)and LAG experiments are conducted.Evolution rules and mechanism of physical phase,ablation morphology and crack characteristics caused by laser irradiation are investigated.The forces of LAG and Conventional Grinding(CG)are compared.The results show that ablation surface changes from slight oxidation to obvious material removal with LAED increasing,and ablation depth increases gradually.The ablation products change from submicron SiO_(2)particles to nanoscale particles and floccule.High LAED promotes SiC decomposition and sublimation,which leads to the increase of C element.The SiC phase forms corrugated shape in recast layer and columnar shape in Heat Affected Zone(HAZ)at 56 J/mm^(2).The cold and heat cycle leads to formation of fishbone crack.For ablation specimen under 30 J/mm^(2),the grinding force can be reduced by a maximum of 39%and brittle damage region is reduced.The material removal and microcrack generated will significantly reduce the hardness and improve machinability,which can promote grinding efficiency.

Enhanced high-temperature mechanical properties of laser-arc hybrid additive manufacturing of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy via microstructure control

Recently,rapid and cost-effective additive manufacturing solutions for lightweight aluminum alloys with excellent high-temperature mechanical properties have been increasingly in demand.In this study,we combined laser-arc hybrid additive manufacturing with solution and artificial aging treatments to achieve Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy with favorable high-temperature strength via microstructure control.Hydrogen pores became the major defect in the as-deposited and heat-treated specimens.The continuous distribution of eutectics with hard-brittle characteristics at the grain boundaries was destructed following heat treat-ment.High-densityηprecipitates were uniformly dispersed in the heat-treated Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy,whereas appeared coarsened and dissolved at 473 K,owing to the rapid diffusion of Zn and Mg.The average 0.2%yield strength(318±16 MPa)and ultimate tensile strength(362±20 MPa)at 473 K af-ter heat treatment were enhanced by approximately 58%and 51%,respectively,compared to those of the as-deposited specimen.In addition,theηprecipitates contributed to lattice distortions and strain fields,which prevented dislocation motion and increased slip deformation resistance at high temper-atures.The as-deposited specimen exhibited intergranular fracture at 473 K,with cracks preferring to propagate along the aggregated eutectics.However,crack propagation proceeded in the sections with more pores in the heat-treated specimen.Our approach may provide a valid option for achieving alu-minum alloys with excellent high-temperature mechanical properties.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of melt-grown alumina-mullite/glass composites fabricated by directed laser deposition

Melt-grown alumina-based composites are receiving increasing attention due to their potential for aerospace applications;however,the rapid preparation of high-performance components remains a challenge.Herein,a novel route for 3D printing dense(<99.4%)high-performance melt-grown alumina-mullite/glass composites using directed laser deposition(DLD)is proposed.Key issues on the composites,including phase composition,microstructure formation/evolution,densification,and mechanical properties,are systematically investigated.The toughening and strengthening mechanisms are analyzed using classical fracture mechanics,Griffith strength theory,and solid/glass interface infiltration theory.It is demonstrated that the composites are composed of corundum,mullite,and glass,or corundum and glass.With the increase of alumina content in the initial powder,corundum grains gradually evolve from near-equiaxed dendrite to columnar dendrite and cellular structures due to the weakening of constitutional undercooling and small nucleation undercooling.The microhardness and fracture toughness are the highest at 92.5 mol%alumina,with 18.39±0.38 GPa and 3.07±0.13 MPa-m1/2,respectively.The maximum strength is 310.1±36.5 MPa at 95 mol%alumina.Strength enhancement is attributed to the improved densification due to the trace silica doping and the relief of residual stresses.The method unravels the potential of preparing dense high-performance melt-grown alumina-based composites by the DLD technology.

Investigation on the Cracking Mechanism of Melt Growth Alumina/Aluminum Titanate Ceramics Prepared by Laser Directed Energy Deposition

Oxide melt growth ceramics(OMGCs)exhibit excellent performance and microstructure stability near their melt-ing point and are expected to become a new structural material for long-term stable service in extremely high-temperature water-oxygen environments.Owing to its unique advantages of high efficiency,flexible manufac-turing,and near-net shaping,laser directed energy deposition(LDED)has become a promising technology for the rapid preparation of high-performance OMGCs.However,owing to the limited understanding of the crack-ing mechanism,the severe cracking problem that hinders OMGCs-LDED towards engineering applications has not been resolved.Alumina/aluminum titanate(Al_(2)O_(3)/Al_(x)Ti_(y)O_(z),A/AT)ceramics are prepared using an LDED system and their cracking characteristics are investigated.Subsequently,numerical simulations are conducted to reveal the dominant factors and influencing mechanisms of the cracking behavior.The results demonstrate that the cracking nucleation process is mainly controlled by solidification defects,whereas the cracking propagation process is determined primarily by both the microstructure and stress level.This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of appropriate cracking suppression methods for OMGCs-LDED.