Interplay of laser power and pore characteristics in selective laser melting of ZK60 magnesium alloys:A study based on in-situ monitoring and image analysis

This study offers significant insights into the multi-physics phenomena of the SLM process and the subsequent porosity characteristics of ZK60 Magnesium(Mg)alloys.High-speed in-situ monitoring was employed to visualise process signals in real-time,elucidating the dynamics of melt pools and vapour plumes under varying laser power conditions specifically between 40 W and 60 W.Detailed morphological analysis was performed using Scanning-Electron Microscopy(SEM),demonstrating a critical correlation between laser power and pore formation.Lower laser power led to increased pore coverage,whereas a denser structure was observed at higher laser power.This laser power influence on porosity was further confirmed via Optical Microscopy(OM)conducted on both top and cross-sectional surfaces of the samples.An increase in laser power resulted in a decrease in pore coverage and pore size,potentially leading to a denser printed part of Mg alloy.X-ray Computed Tomography(XCT)augmented these findings by providing a 3D volumetric representation of the sample internal structure,revealing an inverse relationship between laser power and overall pore volume.Lower laser power appeared to favour the formation of interconnected pores,while a reduction in interconnected pores and an increase in isolated pores were observed at higher power.The interplay between melt pool size,vapour plume effects,and laser power was found to significantly influence the resulting porosity,indicating a need for effective management of these factors to optimise the SLM process of Mg alloys.

Preparation of Laser Cladding Coating Undercooling Cu-based Alloy and Co on Non-equilibrium Solidification Structure

The effect of the gradient content of Co element on the solidification process of Cu-based alloy under deep under cooling conditions was explored.The non-equilibrium solidification structure of the under cooled alloy samples were analyzed.It is found that the rapidly solidified alloy has undergone twice grain refinement during the undercooling process.Characterization and significance of the maximum undercooling refinement structure of Cu60Ni35Co5 at T=253 K were analyzed.High-density defects were observed,such as dislocations,stacking faults networks,and twinning structures.The standard FCC diffraction pattern represents that it is still a single-phase structure.Based on the metallographic diagram,EBSD and TEM data analysis,it is illustrated that the occurrence of grain refinement under high undercooling is due to stress induced recrystallization.In addition,the laser cladding technology is used to coat Co-based alloy(Stellite12) coating on 304 stainless steel substrate;the microstructure of the coating cross-section was analyzed.It was found that the microstructure of the cross-section is presented as columnar crystals,planar crystals,and disordered growth direction,so that the coating has better hardness and wear resistance.By electrochemical corrosion of the substrate and coating,it can be seen that the Co and Cr elements present in the coating are more likely to form a dense passivation film,which improved the corrosion resistance of the coating.

High-strength and thermally stable TiB_(2)-modified Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy fabricated via selective laser melting

To increase the processability and plasticity of the selective laser melting(SLM)fabricated Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloys,a novel TiB_(2)-modified Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy with a mixture of Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr and nano-TiB_(2) powders was fabricated by SLM.The pro-cessability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the alloy were systematically investigated by density measurement,microstruc-ture characterization,and mechanical properties testing.The alloys fabricated at 250 W displayed higher relative densities due to a uni-formly smooth top surface and appropriate laser energy input.The maximum relative density value of the alloy reached(99.7±0.1)%,demonstrating good processability.The alloy exhibited a duplex grain microstructure consisting of columnar regions primarily and equiaxed regions with TiB_(2),Al6Mn,and Al3Er phases distributed along the grain boundaries.After directly aging treatment at a high tem-perature of 400℃,the strength of the SLM-fabricated TiB_(2)/Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy increased due to the precipitation of the secondary Al6Mn phases.The maximum yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the aging alloy were measured to be(374±1)and(512±13)MPa,respectively.The SLM-fabricated TiB_(2)/Al-Mn-Mg-Er-Zr alloy demonstrates exceptional strength and thermal stability due to the synergistic effects of the inhibition of grain growth,the incorporation of TiB_(2) nanoparticles,and the precipitation of secondary Al6Mn nanoparticles.

Effects of processing parameters on fabrication defects,microstructure and mechanical properties of additive manufactured Mg–Nd–Zn–Zr alloy by selective laser melting process

Mg–3Nd–0.2Zn–0.4Zr(NZ30K,wt.%)alloy is a new kind of high-performance metallic biomaterial.The combination of the NZ30K Magnesium(Mg)alloy and selective laser melting(SLM)process seems to be an ideal solution to produce porous Mg degradable implants.However,the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the SLMed NZ30K Mg alloy were not yet studied systematically.Therefore,the fabrication defects,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the SLMed NZ30K alloy under different processing parameters were investigated.The results show that there are two types of fabrication defects in the SLMed NZ30K alloy,gas pores and unfused defects.With the increase of the laser energy density,the porosity sharply decreases to the minimum first and then slightly increases.The minimum porosity is 0.49±0.18%.While the microstructure varies from the large grains with lamellar structure inside under low laser energy density,to the large grains with lamellar structure inside&the equiaxed grains&the columnar grains under middle laser energy density,and further to the fine equiaxed grains&the columnar grains under high laser energy density.The lamellar structure in the large grain is a newly observed microstructure for the NZ30K Mg alloy.Higher laser energy density leads to finer grains,which enhance all the yield strength(YS),ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and elongation,and the best comprehensive mechanical properties obtained are YS of 266±2.1 MPa,UTS of 296±5.2 MPa,with an elongation of 4.9±0.68%.The SLMed NZ30K Mg alloy with a bimodal-grained structure consisting of fine equiaxed grains and coarser columnar grains has better elongation and a yield drop phenomenon.

Selective Laser Melting of Novel SiC and TiC Strengthen 7075 Aluminum Powders for Anti-Cracks Application

The aerospace and military sectors have widely used AA7075, a type of 7075 aluminum alloy, due to its exceptional mechanical performance. Selective laser melting (SLM) is a highly effective method for producing intricate metallic components, particularly in the case of aluminum alloys like Al-Si-Mg. Nevertheless, the production of high-strength AA7075 by SLM is challenging because of its susceptibility to heat cracking and elemental vaporization. In this study, AA7075 powders were mechanically mixed with SiC and TiC particles. Subsequently, this new type of AA7075 powder was effectively utilized in green laser printing to create solid components with fine-grain strengthening microstructures consisting of equiaxial grains. These as-printed parts exhibit a tensile strength of up to 350 MPa and a ductility exceeding 2.1%. Hardness also increases with the increasing content of mixed powder, highlighting the essential role of SiC and TiC in SLM for improved hardness and tensile strength performance. .

Solidification Behavior of Laser Melting Layer of Nd_(15)Fe_(77)B_8 Sintered Magnets and Its Microstructures Evolution

To research the solidification behavior and microstructures of a laser remelting/solidification layer on anisotropic Nd_(15)Fe_(77)B_(8 )sintered magnets with their magnetization direction parallel to X, Y, Z-axis respectively, their surfaces (parallel to XOY plane) were scanned by 5 kW Roffin-Sinar 850 type of CO_(2) laser along Y axis. The rapid solidification of the molten alloy in the layer results in three distinct zones. The transition zone close to the unmolten portion of a magnet (substrate), consists of the columnar Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B phase (matrix), the 10.0%~15.1% dendrite primary iron phase dispersing in the matrix, and the Nd-rich phase along Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grain boundaries. The columnar crystal zone in the middle of the layer consists of the long columnar Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grains and their grain boundary Nd-rich phase. And the dendrite crystal zone near the free surface of the layer consists of dendrite Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grains and their grain boundary Nd-rich phase. When the laser scanning velocity is lower, the growing direction of the microstructures in the layer tends to the laser scanning direction step by step. When the velocity is not lower than 25 mm·s^(-1), the laser remelting/solidification layer thins and the columnar crystal zone comprises almost the whole layer. Under this condition, on the substrate with its magnetization direction along X or Y-axis respectively, the columnar Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grains in the layer grow in the direction of Z-axis (that is their long-axis along Z-axis), their alignment of the easy magnetization axis [001] is parallel to the magnetization direction of the substrate correspondingly; but on the substrate with its magnetization direction along Z-axis, the columnar Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grains in the transition zone grow at an angle of 30°~50° between Z-axis and their long-axis. And the columnar Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grains in the columnar crystal zone gradually tend to the Z-axis,and their easy magnetization axis [001] arrange in the range of 0°~360° of the plane perpendicular to their long-axis.

Effects on Structure and Abrasion Resistance of GCr15 Steel by Surface Gas-Phase RE Diffused Permeation with Laser Melting Solidification

The effects on abrasion resistance and the microstructure of GCr15 steel surface by the compound technology of permeating RE combined with laser melting modification was studied. The results show that after compound treatment, the abrasion resistance of samples has been improved significantly and the weight loss has been reduced to 14% of blank sample; the microstructure has been denser and more uniform than that of untreated; meanwhile, the grain has been refined and the concentration gradients of the elements permeated have been decreased obviously.

Strength and plasticity improvement induced by strong grain refinement after Zr alloying in selective laser-melted AlSiMg1.4 alloy

In order to enhance the mechanical properties of the selective laser-melted(SLM) high-Mg content AlSiMg1.4 alloy,the Zr element was introduced.The influence of Zr alloying on the processability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the alloy was systematically investigated through performing microstructure analysis and tensile testing.It was demonstrated that the SLM-fabricated AlSiMg1.4-Zr alloy exhibited high process stability with a relative density of over 99.5% at various process parameters.Besides,the strong grain refinement induced by the primary Al3Zr particle during the melt solidification process simultaneously enhanced both the strength and plasticity of the alloy.The values for the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation of the SLM-fabricated AlSiMg1.4-Zr were(343±3) MPa,(485±4) MPa,and(10.2±0.2)%,respectively,demonstrating good strengthplasticity synergy in comparison to the AlSiMg1.4 and other Al-Si-based alloys fabricated by SLM.

Crack elimination and strength enhancement mechanisms of selective laser melted Si-modified Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy

In order to increase the processability and process window of the selective laser melting(SLM)-fabricated Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy,a novel Si-modified Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy was designed.The effect of Si alloying on the surface quality,processability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the SLM-fabricated alloy was studied.The results showed that introducing Si into the Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy prevented balling and keyhole formation,refined the grain size,and reduced the solidification temperature,which eliminated cracks and increased the processability and process window of the alloy.The maximum relative density of the SLM-fabricated Si/Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy reached 99.6%.The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the alloy were(371±7)MPa and(518±6)MPa,respectively.These values were higher than those of the SLM-fabricated Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr and other Sc-free Al−Mg-based alloys.

Effects of heat input on layer heterogeneity of selective laser melting Ti-6Al-4V components

Due to the layer-by-layer manufacturing characteristics,metallurgical process of selective laser melting(SLM)is inherently dif-ferent in the building direction because of varying conditions,thereby resulting inter-layer heterogeneity.To mitigate such anisotropy,it is of great significance to understand the effects of processing parameters on the property evolution and thus metallurgy of fabrication process.This research proposes one-factor-at-a-time experiment to investigate the influences of laser power and scanning speed on the surface qual-ity,microstructures and mechanical properties of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V parts.Surface quality is assessed by roughness around the printings while mechanical properties are evaluated through microhardness and tensile strengths.Phases in microstructure are quantified by XRD to correlate with mechanical properties.Fracture morphology is analyzed to understand the effect of defects and microstructure on mechanical performance.The optimized parameter corresponding to best surface quality and mechanical properties has been found respect-ively in laser power of 190 W and scanning speed of 800 mm/s.After optimization,surface roughness has decreased by 44.47%for upper surface.Yielding strength,tensile strength and elongation rate have improved by 13.17%,43.34%and 64.51%,respectively,with similar hardness and Young’s modulus.In addition,heterogeneity of mechanical properties has great improvement by a range of 31.63%-92.68%.

Microstructure,Properties and Crack Suppression Mechanism of High-speed Steel Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting at Different Process Parameters

To enrich material types applied to additive manufacturing and enlarge application scope of additive manufacturing in conformal cooling tools,M2 high-speed steel specimens were fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM).Effects of SLM parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of M2 high-speed steel were investigated.The results showed that substrate temperature and energy density had significant influence on the densification process of materials and defects control.Models to evaluate the effect of substrate temperature and energy density on hardness were studied.The optimized process parameters,laser power,scan speed,scan distance,and substrate temperature,for fabricated M2 are 220 W,960 mm/s,0.06 mm,and 200℃,respectively.Based on this,the hardness and tensile strength reached 60 HRC and 1000 MPa,respectively.Interlaminar crack formation and suppression mechanism and the relationship between temperature gradient and thermal stress were illustrated.The inhibition effect of substrate temperature on the cracks generated by residual stresses was also explained.AM showed great application potential in the field of special conformal cooling cutting tool preparation.

Surface Integrity of Inconel 738LC Parts Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting Followed by High-speed Milling

This study is concerned with the surface integrity of Inconel 738LC parts manufactured by selective laser melting(SLM)followed by high-speed milling(HSM).In the investigation process of surface integrity,the study employs ultradepth three-dimensional microscopy,laser scanning confocal microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,electron backscatter diffractometry,and energy dispersive spectroscopy to characterize the evolution of material microstructure,work hardening,residual stress coupling,and anisotropic effect of the building direction on surface integrity of the samples.The results show that SLM/HSM hybrid manufacturing can be an effective method to obtain better surface quality with a thinner machining metamorphic layer.High-speed machining is adopted to reduce cutting force and suppress machining heat,which is an effective way to produce better surface mechanical properties during the SLM/HSM hybrid manufacturing process.In general,high-speed milling of the SLM-built Inconel 738LC samples offers better surface integrity,compared to simplex additive manufacturing or casting.

Study of ultrahigh-purity copper billets refined by vacuum melting and directional solidification

The purpose of this paper is to study large-sized copper billets refined with 5N ultrahigh purity after vacuum melting and directional solidifi-cation （VMDS）. The precise impurity analysis of copper billets was carried out with a glow discharge mass spectrometer （GDMS）. The re-sults demonstrate that the total concentration of twenty-two impurities is decreased by 63.1wt.%-66.5 wt.%. Ag, P, S, Na, Mg, Se, Zn, In and Bi are easy to be removed due to lgPimp - lgPCu 1.5, and they can be removed effectively under the vacuum condition of 1650-1700 K for 30 min. The electrical conductivity of 5N copper is higher than that of the raw material as the impurity concentrations decrease. The segrega-tion effect in directional solidification can be remarkable when the equilibrium distribution coefficient （k0） value is less than 0.65 due to the strong affinity of Cu for some metallic and non-metallic impurities.

Numerical and Experimental Studies of Substrate Melting and Resolidification during Thermal Spraying

A good understanding of melting and resolidification of the substrate will help us to achieve better bonding.Anumerical model is developed to investigate the solidification of the droplet,and melting and resolidification of thesubstrate.The molybdenum powder spraying onto three different substrates:a stainless steel,brass(70%Cu)andaluminum by atmospheric plasma spraying has been investigated.The maximum melting depth of the substrate hasbeen measured and compared with the numerical prediction.Experimental results show that the material propertiesof the splat and substrate and melting temperature of the substrate play the important roles on substrate melting.A dimensionless parameter,temperature factor,has been proposed and served as an indicator for substrate melting.

Melting Reconstruction Features and Solidification Mechanism of Heavy Metal-containing Slag

The relationships between microstructure and melting temperature of slag containing different heavy metals （Zn, Cu, Pb and Cr） were studied. Furthermore, the corresponding solidification mechanism and rule of heavy metals were analyzed by microscopic tests during melting and reconstructing process. Based on preliminary results, three conclusions were derived. Firstly, pure slag would begin to melt when the temperature reached 1 180℃; however, Zn did not play any fluxing action. Secondly, upon adding Cu and Pb, the initial melting temperature of slag decreased by 5-8℃ and their fluxing effect was observed. Thirdly, the initial melting temperature and the reaction time for slag decreased by 22℃ and 6 s respectively after adding Cr; the fluxing action was significant under Cr. The results of X-ray diffraction （XRD） and Fourier transform infrared spectroscope （FTIR） analyses showed that the above heavy metals had little influence on the reconstruction of slag. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure （TCLP） leaching tests showed a good solidification effect of the heavy metals with melting slag, fixation rate of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cr was 36.3%, 24.6%, 9.2% and 93.2%, respectively. The leaching toxicity of the heavy metals met the requirements for environmental emission after solidification treatment.

Functionally Gradient Material Made by IncrementalMelting and Solidification Process

A new technique IMS (Incremental Melting and Solidification Process) has been introduced. A kind of cast steel high Mn foundry alloy gradient rnalerial was produced by this process. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy were tested. Fe and Mn in the samples were measured by EPMA. The experimental results show that the content and hardness of Fe-Mn alloy vary continuously and the IMS process is an alternative way in producing metal matrix gradient material. It is possible for these materials to be made into some parts such as camshaft.

Numerical prediction of the incremental melting and solidification process

A mathematical formulation is applied to represent the phenomena in theincremental melting and solidification process (IMSP), and the temperature and electromagneticfields and the depth of steel liquid phase are calculated by a finite difference technique using thecontrol volume method. The result shows that the predicted values are in good agreement with theobservations. In accordance with the calculated values for different kinds of materials anddifferent size of molds, the technological parameter of the IMS process such as the power supply andthe descending speed rate can be determined.

Numerical simulation on rapid melting and nonequilibrium solidification of pure metals and binary alloys

A heat and mass transfer modelling containing phase transformation dynamics is made for pure metals and binary alloys under pulsed laser processing. The nonequilibrium effects of processing parameters and physical properties are evaluated on the melting and solidification of pure metals (Al, Cu, Fe and Ni) and Al Cu alloys. It is shown that the energy intensity of laser beam and physical properties of metals and the solute concentration of alloys have important effect on the interface temperature, melting and solidification velocity, melting depth and non equilibrium partition coefficient. This situation is resulted from the interaction of heat transfer, redistribution of solute, solute trapping and growth kinetics.

Partial melting and re-solidification in partially melted zone during gas tungsten arc welding of AZ91 cast alloy

During the welding of AZ91 cast alloy,the presence of eutectic β-Mg17Al12 phase results in constitutional liquation in the original interdendritic regions and in the formation of a partially melted zone(PMZ). In this study,gas tungsten arc welding(GTAW) and partial melting(simulated using furnace,salt bath and Gleeble) experiments were conducted. The results show that practically there would not be a critical heating rate during the welding to prevent constitutional liquation. The gradual change of the re-solidification microstructure within PMZ from base metal side to weld metal side was characterized. A sharp transition from base metal to PMZ has been observed. It is found that the original partially divorced eutectic has become a more regular eutectic in most of the PMZ,although close to the fusion boundary the re-solidified eutectic is again a more divorced one. Proceeding the eutectic re-solidification,α-Mg re-solidified with a cellular growth resulting in a serrated interface. The morphological change affected by the peak temperature and cooling rate will be presented and explained.

Si purification by solidification of Al-Si melt with super gravity

The investigation on purification of metallurgical grade silicon by solidification of hypereutectic Al-Si melt with super gravity as an intensified separation way was carried out.The results indicate that the refined silicon grains are successfully enriched at the bottom of the Al-Si alloy along the direction of super gravity.Then the refined silicon was collected by aqua regia leaching.The purity of the collected silicon is analyzed as 99.92%,which is obviously improved compared with the purity of the metallurgical grade silicon of 99.59%,proving the feasibility of this purification method.Furthermore,the mass fraction of B is reduced from 8.33×10-6 to 5.25×10-6 and that of P from 33.65×10-6 to13.50×10-6.