Cracking behavior of newly-developed high strength eutectic high entropy alloy matrix composites manufactured by laser powder bed fusion

A novel AlCoCrFeNi2.1 eutectic high entropy alloy(EHEA)composite doped with SiC particles was designed and fabricated by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF).Its microstructure characteristic,tensile properties,and metallurgical defects,with an emphasis on cracking behavior,have been investigated.The results showed that the addition of SiC particles into the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)matrix enabled the development of a{100}texture and highly elongated columnar grains,which were the main contributors to mechanical behavior anisotropy.The ultimate tensile strength of 1466±26 MPa and elongation of 9%±3%achieved in the as-deposited EHEA composite surpassed those of advanced metal alloys subjected to additive manufacturing processes.Unfortunately,severe horizontal and longitudinal cracks,as well as a few micro-cracks were observed in the as-deposited bulk samples.Micro-cracks were verified to be associated with the aggregation of carbon and oxide particles.They formed in the final stage of solidification owing to insufficient liquid feeding ability and solidification contraction.The formation of macroscopic cracking was induced by the tensile stress accumulations at sample edges,and the stress concentration areas where microcracks and pores were located were the predominant propagation location.This work provides guidelines for defect control in SiC-reinforced EHEA,assisting in the high-performance design and integrated manufacturing of EHEA composite components.

Effect of seed orientations on crystallographic texture control in faceted Al2O3/YAG eutectic ceramic during directional solidification

Crystallographic texture control is a major challenge in directionally solidified multiphase eutectic ceramics with complex faceted growth characteristics.In this study,the Czochralski(CZ)technique is proposed to prepare eutectic single crystal ceramic with large size(30 mm×125 mm).A highly oriented and unique texture of Al_(2)O_(3)/Y_(3)Al_(5)O_(12)(YAG)eutectic ceramic is formed via the 112¯0Al_(2)O_(3) single crystal seed induction based on crystallographic orientation tailoring.The orientations of Al_(2)O_(3)/YAG eutectic are more strictly constrained by single crystal seed induction on the basis of the minimum interface energy principle,resulting in a defined single orientation relationship along the solidification direction.In particular,the single crystallographic orientation can be obtained in a short competitive solidification distance under the influence of epitaxial solidification from single crystal seed.Therefore,it has been confirmed that the orientations of 112¯0Al_(2)O_(3) and 111YAG are preferentially stabilized with the minimum under-cooling during directional solidification.Crystallographic orientation disturbances and instabilities due to polycrystalline crystal seed are avoided.Finally,the successful texture control inducted by 112¯0Al_(2)O_(3) single crystal seed can provide a promising orientation design pathway for faced oxide eutectic solidification.

Unveiling the dynamic instability mechanism of microstructure transformation in faceted oxide eutectic composite ceramics

Microstructure control is a great challenge in the high-temperature gradient directional solidification of eutectic composite ceramics due to the complex solidification behavior.Herein,the microstructure trans-formation of faceted Al_(2)O_(3)/Er_(3)Al_(5)O_(12) thermal emission eutectic composite ceramics is explored over wide ranges of compositions(13.5 mol%-22.5 mol%Er_(2)O_(3))and solidification rates(2-200μm/s).Entirely cou-pled eutectics with primary phases suppressed are fabricated and the coupled zone is broadened in a wide range of 15.5 mol%-22.5 mol%Er_(2)O_(3) at low solidification rates.The competitive growth between eutectic and dendrite is evaluated on the basis of the maximum interface temperature criterion.In ad-dition,the mechanisms of irregular eutectic spacing selection and adjustment under different solidifi-cation rates are revealed based on Magnin-Kurz model.A successful prediction of lamellar to rod-like eutectics is achieved associated with the dynamic instability of lamellar eutectic and the corresponding enlarged coexistence region is mapped based on the interface undercooling.According to the well mi-crostructure tailoring,the flexural strength of Al_(2)O_(3)/Er_(3)Al_(5)O_(12) eutectic composite ceramics has improved from 508 MPa up to 1800 MPa due to the refined eutectic spacing with low fluctuation.The eutectic composite ceramics show strong selective optical absorption and the intensity increases with the refin-ing microstructure.The as-designed Al_(2)O_(3)/Er_(3)Al_(5)O_(12) composites with microstructural tailoring have great potential as integrations of structural and functional materials.

High temperature calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate(CMAS)corrosion behavior of directionally solidified Al_(2)O_(3)/YAG eutectic ceramic

1.Introduction Modern turbine engines can be substantially damaged when the airborne silicate-based particles(fly ash,desert sand,volcanic ash,runway debris,etc.)are ingested into jet engines at high temperatures(1150−1250℃)[1-4],leading to severe CaO-MgO-Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2)(CMAS)corrosion during their service life.In order to extend the engine life,many efforts have been devoted to thermal barrier coatings(TBCs)and environmental barrier coatings(EBCs)to protect the substrate from corrosion by molten CMAS[5-7].To be specific,thermochemical and thermomechanical corrosion are the two main mechanisms of CMAS corrosion[8].The structure and composition of the coatings were changed due to the chemical reaction between the molten CMAS and coating,the detrimental phases were then precipitated[9,10].

Formation and Evolution of Surface Morphology in Overhang Structure of IN718 Superalloy Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Controlling the overhang surface quality is still a formidable challenge in manufacturing the components with complex structures during laser powder bed fusion(LPBF).This study systematically uncovers the effects of the volume energy density(VED)and overhang angle on the evolution of surface morphology and corresponding surface roughness(Ra)of top and down-skin surfaces of IN718 superalloy samples.The results show that balling,Plateau-Rayleigh instability,open pore and humping caused by the material stacking are the main factors contributing to the apparent deterioration of top surface quality.When the VED is 80–100 J/mm^(3),the high down-skin surface roughness is attributed to the serious dross caused by recoil pressure and sinking of the melt pool.Using insufficient VED(15–50 J/mm^(3))can easily lead to poor metallurgical bonding and material spalling on the down-skin surface.In addition,overhang angle also significantly affects down-skin surface roughness due to the stair effect and the adhered unmelted powders.An improvement in the surface quality of down-skin surface is observed when the overhang angle increases.Based on the finding of this investigation,an optical VED(59.5 J/mm^(3))significantly improves the top and down-skin surface quality and porosity of overhang samples.This study provides an insight into synergy ascension of the top and down-skin surface quality in the overhang structure.

Preparation of large-size Al_(2)O_(3)/GdAlO_(3)/ZrO_(2)ternary eutectic ceramic rod by laser directed energy deposition and its microstructure homogenization mechanism

Laser 3D printing based on melt growth has great potential in rapid preparation of Al_(2)O_(3)-based eutectic ce ramics.In this work,la rge-scale Al_(2)O_(3)/GdAlO_(3)/ZrO_(2)ternary eutectic ceramic rod with diameter of 4-5 mm and height higher than 250 mm was additively manufactured by laser directed energy deposition.Especially,heat treatment was applied to eliminate the microstructure heterogeneity in the as-deposited eutectic ceramic,and the microstructure homogenization mechanism was studied in depth.The results indicate that colonies and banded structures completely disappear after the heat treatment,producing a homogeneous network eutectic structure.The microstructure homogenization is revealed to experience three stages of discontinuous coarsening,continuous coarsening and microstructure coalescence.Additionally,it is found that the eutectic spacing linearly increases with the heat treatment time,meaning that the coarsening behavior of the laser 3D-printed Al_(2)O_(3)/GdAlO_(3)/ZrO_(2)eutectic ceramic satisfies well with the Graham-Kraft model.

Unique strength-ductility balance of AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)eutectic high entropy alloy with ultra-fine duplex microstructure prepared by selective laser melting

As a typical dual-phase eutectic high entropy alloy(EHEA),AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)can achieve the fair matching of strength and ductility,which has attracted wide attention.However,the engineering applications of as-cast AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)EHEAs still face challenges,such as coarse grain and low yield strength resulting from low solidification rate and temperature gradient.In this study,selective laser melting(SLM)was introduced into the preparation of AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)EHEA to realize unique strength-ductility balance,with emphasis on investigating the effects of processing parameters on its eutectic microstructure and properties.The results show that the SLM-ed samples exhibit a completely eutectic structure consisting of ultra-fine face-centered cubic(FCC)and ordered body-centered cubic(B2)phases,and the duplex microstructure undergoes a morphological evolution from lamellar structure to cellular structure as laser energy input reducing.The SLM-ed AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)EHEA presents an excellent match of high tensile strength(1271 MPa),yield strength(966 MPa),and good ductility(22.5%)at room temperature,which are significantly enhanced by the ultra-fine grains and heterogeneous structure due to rapid solidification rate and high temperature gradient during SLM.Especially,the yield strength increment of~50%is realized with no loss in ductility as compared with the as-cast samples with the same composition.On this basis,the precise complex component with excellent mechanical properties is well achieved.This work paves the way for the performance improvement and complex parts preparation of EHEA by microstructural design using laser additive manufacturing.

Distribution control and formation mechanism of gas inclusions in directionally solidified Al2O3-Er3Al5O12-ZrO2 ternary eutectic ceramic by laser floating zone melting

Distribution control and formation mechanism of gas inclusions formed in directionally solidified Al2O3-Er3Al5O12-ZrO2 eutectic ceramic rods are explored during laser floating zone melting. In atmospheric environment, highly-dense bubble-free eutectic rods are well fabricated at low solidification rate(<25μm/s). Gas inclusions form intermittently when the solidification rate is in the range of 25-50 μm/s,but produce continuously at higher solidification rates(100-200 μm/s). The gas inclusions exhibit an elongated finger-like pattern along the growth direction, which of the maximum value of diameter first increases and then decreases with increasing the solidification rate. Meanwhile, the volume fraction of gas inclusions increased gradually with the solidification rate. Based on the effect of surface tension gradient, heterogeneous nucleation of gas bubbles is evaluated to be the primary formation mechanism of gas inclusions.

A Review of Emerging Metallic System for High-Energy Beam Additive Manufacturing: Al–Co–Cr–Fe–Ni High Entropy Alloys

Al–Co–Cr–Fe–Ni high entropy alloy(HEA) system is a newly developed category of metallic materials possessing unique microstructure, mechanical and functional properties, which presents many promising industrial applications. In recent years, additive manufacturing technology has given rise to a great potential for fabricating HEA parts of ultra-fine grains and geometrical complexity, thereby attracting great interest of researchers. Herein, a comprehensive review emphasizes on the recent developments in high-energy beam additive manufacturing of Al–Co–Cr–Fe–Ni HEA, in the aspects of their printing processes, microstructures, properties, defects, and post treatments. The technical characteristics of three typical high-energy beam additive manufacturing technologies for printing HEA, namely, selective laser melting(SLM), selective electron beam melting(SEBM), and directed energy deposition(DED) are systematically summarized. Typical crystal structure, grain, microstructure, as well as corresponding properties of Al–Co–Cr–Fe–Ni HEA manufactured by those technologies are primarily presented and discussed. It also elaborates the formation mechanisms of harmful defects related to the rapid solidification and complex thermal cycle during high-energy beam additive manufacturing. Furthermore, several kinds of post treatments with an aim to improve performance of HEA are illustrated. Finally, future research directions for HEA by additive manufacturing are outlined to tackle current challenges and accelerate their applications in industrial fields.

Enhanced comprehensive properties of stereolithography 3D printed alumina ceramic cores with high porosities by a powder gradation design

Ceramic cores with complex structures and optimized properties are critical for hollow turbine blades applied in aeroengines.Compared to traditional methods,additive manufacturing(AM)presents great advantages in forming complex ceramic cores,but how to balance the porosity and strength is an enormous challenge.In this work,alumina ceramic cores with high porosity,moderate strength,and low high-temperature deflection were prepared using stereolithography(SLA)3D printing by a novel powder gradation design strategy.The contradiction between porosity and flexural strength is well adjusted when the mass ratio of the coarse,medium,and fine particles is 2:1:1 and the sintering temperature is 1600℃.The fracture mode of coarse particles in sintered SLA 3D printing ceramic transforms from intergranular fracture to transgranular fracture with the increase of sintering temperature and the proportion of fine powders in powder system.The sintered porosity has a greater influence on the high-temperature deflection of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores than grain size.On this basis,a"non-skeleton"microstructure model of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores is created to explain the relationship between the sintering process and properties.As a result,high porosity(36.4%),appropriate strength(50.1 MPa),and low high-temperature deflection(2.27 mm)were achieved by optimizing particle size gradation and sintering process,which provides an insight into the important enhancement of the comprehensive properties of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores.

Formation mechanism and roles of oxygen vacancies in melt-grown Al_(2)O_(3)/GdAlO_(3)/ZrO_(2) eutectic ceramic by laser 3D printing

Laser three-dimensional(3D)printing has become a significant technique to fabricate high-performance Al_(2)O_(3)-based eutectic ceramics based on melt growth.However,oxygen vacancies are inevitable crystal defects during this process,and their formation mechanism and roles in the as-deposited ceramics are still unclear.In this paper,Al_(2)O_(3)/GdAlO_(3)/ZrO_(2) ternary eutectic ceramics were prepared by laser 3D printing,and the formation mechanism of the oxygen vacancies was revealed by conducting a well-designed annealing experiment.In addition,the effects of the oxygen vacancies on the structure and mechanical property of the as-solidified eutectic ceramic were investigated.The formation of oxygen vacancies is revealed to be a result of the transfer of oxygen atoms from the oxide ceramic to the oxygen-deficient atmosphere by means of vacancy migration mechanism.Besides,the presence of oxygen vacancies has no obvious effects on crystalline structure and microstructure of the additively manufactured eutectic ceramic.However,the chemical bond property changes to some extent due to the formation of these crystal defects,which may affect the mechanical property of the as-deposited eutectic ceramic.It is found that the hardness decreases by 3.9%,and the fracture toughness increases by 13.3%after removing the oxygen vacancies.The results may provide a potential strategy to regulate the mechanical property of the oxide ceramic materials.