Printability disparities in heterogeneous material combinations via laser directed energy deposition:a comparative study

Additive manufacturing provides achievability for the fabrication of bimetallic and multi-material structures;however,the material compatibility and bondability directly affect the parts’formability and final quality.It is essential to understand the underlying printability of different material combinations based on an adapted process.Here,the printability disparities of two common and attractive material combinations(nickel-and iron-based alloys)are evaluated at the macro and micro levels via laser directed energy deposition(DED).The deposition processes were captured using in situ high-speed imaging,and the dissimilarities in melt pool features and track morphology were quantitatively investigated within specific process windows.Moreover,the microstructure diversity of the tracks and blocks processed with varied material pairs was comparatively elaborated and,complemented with the informative multi-physics modeling,the presented non-uniformity in mechanical properties(microhardness)among the heterogeneous material pairs was rationalized.The differences in melt flow induced by the unlike thermophysical properties of the material pairs and the resulting element intermixing and localized re-alloying during solidification dominate the presented dissimilarity in printability among the material combinations.This work provides an in-depth understanding of the phenomenological differences in the deposition of dissimilar materials and aims to guide more reliable DED forming of bimetallic parts.

Effect of hot isostatic pressure on the microstructure and tensile properties of γ'-strengthened superalloy fabricated through induction-assisted directed energy deposition

The microstructure characteristics and strengthening mechanism of Inconel738LC(IN-738LC) alloy prepared by using induction-assisted directed energy deposition(IDED) were elucidated through the investigation of samples subjected to IDED under 1050℃ preheating with and without hot isostatic pressing(HIP,1190℃,105 MPa,and 3 h).Results show that the as-deposited sample mainly consisted of epitaxial columnar crystals and inhomogeneously distributed γ’ phases in interdendritic and dendritic core regions.After HIP,grain morphology changed negligibly,whereas the size of the γ’ phase became increasingly even.After further heat treatment(HT,1070℃,2 h + 845℃,24 h),the γ’ phase in the as-deposited and HIPed samples presented a bimodal size distribution,whereas that in the as-deposited sample showed a size that remained uneven.The comparison of tensile properties revealed that the tensile strength and uniform elongation of the HIP + HTed sample increased by 5% and 46%,respectively,due to the synergistic deformation of bimodal γ’phases,especially large cubic γ’ phases.Finally,the relationship between phase transformations and plastic deformations in the IDEDed sample was discussed on the basis of generalized stability theory in terms of the trade-off between thermodynamics and kinetics.

Review on laser directed energy deposited aluminum alloys

Lightweight aluminum(Al)alloys have been widely used in frontier fields like aerospace and automotive industries,which attracts great interest in additive manufacturing(AM)to process high-value Al parts.As a mainstream AM technique,laser-directed energy deposition(LDED)shows good scalability to meet the requirements for large-format component manufacturing and repair.However,LDED Al alloys are highly challenging due to their inherent poor printability(e.g.low laser absorption,high oxidation sensitivity and cracking tendency).To further promote the development of LDED high-performance Al alloys,this review offers a deep understanding of the challenges and strategies to improve printability in LDED Al alloys.The porosity,cracking,distortion,inclusions,element evaporation and resultant inferior mechanical properties(worse than laser powder bed fusion)are the key challenges in LDED Al alloys.Processing parameter optimizations,in-situ alloy design,reinforcing particle addition and field assistance are the efficient approaches to improving the printability and performance of LDED Al alloys.The underlying correlations between processes,alloy innovation,characteristic microstructures,and achievable performances in LDED Al alloys are discussed.The benchmark mechanical properties and primary strengthening mechanism of LDED Al alloys are summarized.This review aims to provide a critical and in-depth evaluation of current progress in LDED Al alloys.Future opportunities and perspectives in LDED high-performance Al alloys are also outlined.

Effect of wire-arc directed energy deposition on the microstructural formation and age-hardening response of the Mg-9Al-1Zn(AZ91)alloy

In recent years,wire-arc directed energy deposition(wa DED),which is also commonly known as wire-arc additive manufacturing(WAAM),has emerged as a promising new fabrication technique for magnesium alloys.The major reason for this is the possibility of producing parts with a complex geometry as well as a fine-grained microstructure.While the process has been shown to be applicable for Mg-Al-Zn alloys,there is still a lack of knowledge in terms of the influence of the WAAM process on the age-hardening response.Consequently,this study deals with the aging response of a WAAM AZ91 alloy.In order to fully understand the mechanisms during aging,first,the as-built condition was analyzed by means of high-energy X-ray diffraction(HEXRD)and scanning electron microscopy.These investigations revealed a finegrained,equiaxed microstructure with adjacent areas of alternating Al content.Subsequently,the difference between single-and double-step aging as well as conventional and direct aging was studied on the as-built WAAM AZ91 alloy for the first time.The aging response during the various heat treatments was monitored via in situ HEXRD experiments.Corroborating electron microscopy and hardness studies were conducted.The results showed that the application of a double-step aging heat treatment at 325℃with pre-aging at 250℃slightly improves the mechanical properties when compared to the single-step heat treatment at 325℃.However,the hardness decreases considerably after the pre-aging step.Thus,aging at lower temperatures is preferable within the investigated temperature range of 250-325℃.Moreover,no significant difference between the conventionally aged and directly aged samples was found.Lastly,the specimens showed enhanced precipitation kinetics during aging as compared to cast samples.This could be attributed to a higher amount of nucleation sites and the particular temperature profile of the solution heat treatment.

Formation mechanism of inherent spatial heterogeneity of microstructure and mechanical properties of NiTi SMA prepared by laser directed energy deposition

Ni51Ti49 at.%bulk was additively manufactured by laser-directed energy deposition(DED)to reveal the microstructure evolution,phase distribution,and mechanical properties.It is found that the localized remelting,reheating,and heat accumulation during DED leads to the spatial heterogeneous distribution of columnar crystal and equiaxed crystal,a gradient distribution of Ni4Ti3 precipitates along the building direction,and preferential formation of Ni4Ti3 precipitates in the columnar zone.The austenite transformation finish temperature(Af)varies from-12.65℃(Z=33 mm)to 60.35℃(Z=10 mm),corresponding to tensile yield strength(σ0.2)changed from 120±30 MPa to 570±20 MPa,and functional properties changed from shape memory effect to superelasticity at room temperature.The sample in the Z=20.4 mm height has the best plasticity of 9.6%and the best recoverable strain of 4.2%.This work provided insights and guidelines for the spatial characterization of DEDed NiTi.

The Distortion of Energy Deposit Distribution of (12)～C Ions in Water

The transport process of 12C ions in water was studied with SRIM code and Geant4 toolkit. The SRIM results indicate that the transverse diffusion of 12C ion beam causes distortion of energy deposit along the beam direction. The distortion becomes more notable as the transverse diffusion increases. The simulation results of Geant4 indicate that the influence of secondary fragments on energy deposit distribution would be the main factor causing the distortion in higher energy range. In the region adjacent to the beam line where the contribution from 12C ions domi- nates, the contributions from secondary fragments are ignorable. The further from the beam axis the region locates, the larger the contributions from secondary fragments, until the contributions from secondary fragments are ignorable. The further from the beam axis the region locates, the larger the contributions from secondary fragments, until the contributions from secondary frag- ments exceed that of 12C. Among all the secondary fragments, the contributions of H, He and B ions are mostly notable. It is also found that some positron-emitting secondary fragments could be very useful for position emitting tomography （PET）.

Numerical Simulation of Radial and Angular Distribution of γ-Ray's Energy Deposition in Scintillation Optical Fibre

Angular and radial distributions of the energy deposition of γ-ray radiation in scintillation optical fibres are simulated and analysed using the Geant4 system. The results show a linear relation between the energy deposition and the radius of the fibres. The deposition is roughly inversely proportional to sinθ with θ the incident angle relative to the fibre axis. The results could provide corrections to the measurements of the scintillation fibres used in monitoring the γ-ray radiation.

High-temperature tribological performance of functionally graded Stellite 6/WC metal matrix composite coatings manufactured by laser-directed energy deposition

Wear-driven tool failure is one of the main hurdles in the industry.This issue can be addressed through surface coating with ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites.However,the maximum ceramic content is limited by cracking.In this work,the tribological behaviour of the functionally graded WC-ceramic-particlereinforced Stellite 6 coatings is studied.To that end,the wear resistance at room temperature and 400°C is investigated.Moreover,the tribological analysis is supported by crack sensitivity and hardness evaluation,which is of utmost importance in the processing of composite materials with ceramic-particle-reinforcement.Results indicate that functionally graded materials can be employed to increase the maximum admissible WC content,hence improving the tribological behaviour,most notably at high temperatures.Additionally,a shift from abrasive to oxidative wear is observed in high-temperature wear testing.

Pore Formation Mechanism in W-C Hard Coatings Using Directed Energy Deposition on Tungsten Alloy

Porosity is a common phenomenon and can significantly hinder the quality of the coating.Here,the pore formation mechanism and the characteristics of the single tracks of the W-C coating using directed energy deposition(DED)are systematically investigated.The forming quality of the tracks,the distribution of the pores,and the elemental distribution near the pores are analyzed by the observations of the cross-sections of the tracks.The temperature field of the melt pool is discussed comprehensively to reveal the pore formation mechanism.The results confirm that Ni and Co evaporated during the DED process due to the high temperature of the melt pool.Pores were continuously produced adjacent to the fusion line when the melt pool was about to solidify since the temperature at the solidification front was higher than the boiling point of Ni.The vaporization area at the fusion line was proposed,where Ni could also evaporate at the time the melt pool started to solidify.The relationship between the solidification rate,the size of the vaporization area and the DED parameters(laser power and scanning speed)was established to discuss the causes of severe pores above the fusion line.This work contains a practical guide to reduce or eliminate the porosity in the coating preparation process on the surface of the tungsten alloy.

Influence of tungsten particle size on microstructure and mechanical properties of high strength and tough tungsten particle-reinforced nickel-based composites by laser-direct energy deposition

Tungsten(W)particle-reinforced nickel(Ni)-based composites were fabricated via laser-direct energy de-position(L-DED).The influence of the W particle size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the deposited samples was systematically studied.The results indicate that refining the W particle size could refine theγ-Ni grains and subgrains,thin the(Ni,Cr)_(4)W interface layer,and increase the disloca-tion density of the intergranular matrix,thus improving the tensile strength and elongation of the L-DED samples.As W particle size decreased from 75 to 150μm to 6.5-12μm,the tensile strength and elonga-tion of the deposited samples increased by 150 MPa and 2.9 times to 1347.6±15.7 MPa and 17.5±0.4%,respectively.Based on the properties of the interface(Ni,Cr)_(4)W,a load-transfer efficiency factor suitable for this composite was proposed and the load-transfer strengthening formula was optimized.A quanti-tative analysis of the strengthening mechanisms was established considering load-transfer strengthening,Hall-Petch strengthening,thermal-mismatch strengthening,and solid-solution strengthening.The calcu-lated contribution of each strengthening mechanism to the yield strength and theoretical calculations were in good agreement with the experimental data.The article breaks the bottleneck of poor plasticity of W particle-reinforced Ni-based composites prepared by L-DED and provides a theoretical basis for the construction design of W particle-reinforced Ni-based composites with excellent mechanical properties.

Effect of Microstructural Characteristics on Fracture Toughness in Direct Energy Deposited Novel Ti-6Al-4V-1Mo Alloy

Meeting the damage tolerance requirements for engineering-grade titanium alloys pose a significant challenge in achieving high fracture toughness in direct energy deposition(DED)titanium alloys.This work primarily investigated the relationship between the microstructure and the fracture toughness of DED new Ti-6Al-4V-1Mo alloy.Two types of microstructures were designed via two process strategies:high-line energy density(HE)and low-line energy density(LE).Relative to LE samples,HE samples possess larger-sized microstructural characteristics(coarser grain boundaryα(α_(GB)),largerαcolonies,and coarserαlaths).Lessα/βphase boundaries were formed by coarserαlaths in the HE samples,increasing the movement of dislocations,resulting in tensile strength decreasing from 1007.1 MPa(LE)to 930.8 MPa(HE)and elongation increasing from 10.8%(LE)to 15.7%(HE).Also,HE samples exhibited an excellent fracture toughness of 114.0 MPa m^(1/2),significantly higher than that of LE samples(76.8 MPa m^(1/2)).An analysis of crack propagation paths was conducted to investigate the factors contributing to toughening.The primary factor enhancing toughness is the frequent obstruction of cracks by coarseαGB and largeαcolonies in HE samples.Particularly,the pretty large-angle deflections induced by the superposition effect of coarseαGB and largeαcolonies play a vital of significant role.These factors induced the long and tortuous high-energy pathways,which resulted in ultimately improved fracture toughness.The discovered microstructural toughening mechanisms can serve as a reference for future studies involving titanium alloys,offering insights on how to enhance fracture toughness by achieving similar characteristics.

Cracking on a nickel-based superalloy fabricated by direct energy deposition

Cracks have consistently been a significant challenge limiting the development of additive manufactured nickel-based superalloys.It is essential to investigate the location of cracks and their forming mechanism.This study extensively examines the impact of solidification process,microstructural evolution,and stress concentration on crack initiation during direct energy deposition(DED).The results emphasize that the crack formation is significantly related to large-angle grain boundaries,rapid cooling rates.Cracks caused by large-angle grain boundaries and a fast-cooling rate predominantly appear near the edge of the deposited samples.Liquation cracks are more likely to form near the top of the deposited sample,due to the presence ofγ/γ'eutectics.The secondary dendritic arm and the carbides in the interdendritic regions can obstruct liquid flow during the final stage of solidification,which results in the formation of solidification cracks and voids.This work paves the way to avoid cracks in nickel-based superalloys fabricated by DED,thereby enhancing the performance of superalloys.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of an Ultrahigh-strength Titanium alloy Ti-4.5Al-5Mo-5V-6Cr-1Nb Prepared Using Laser Directed Energy Deposition and Forging:A Comparative Study

The application of titanium alloys in aerospace put forward the requirement for higher strength.Additive manu-facturing is a promising method for the efficient and economical processing of titanium alloys.However,research on the additive manufacturing of ultrahigh-strength titanium alloys is still limited.The mechanisms of microseg-regation for high alloying elements and poor plasticity are still not clear.In this study,an ultrahigh-strength titanium alloy Ti-4.5Al-5Mo-5V-6Cr-1Nb(TB18)was prepared using two methods:laser direct energy deposi-tion(LDED)and forging.The LDEDed alloy contains three zones with similar grain morphologies but different microstructure.The microsegregation of the alloy is limited due to the rapid solidification and almost eliminated after the thermal cycle and solution treatment.With stress relief treatment,the LDEDed alloy exhibits anisotropic mechanical properties.After solution and aging treatments,its ultimate strength is enhanced;however,its plas-ticity is relatively lower than that of the wrought alloy with equally high strength.The excellent balance of the strength and plasticity of the wrought alloy can be ascribed to the formation of𝛼WGB and multiscale𝛼laths,which provides enlightenment for optimizing the properties of the LDEDed alloy.

Effect of grain structure on the mechanical properties of a Monel alloy fabricated by laser-based directed energy deposition

Monel K-500 is a Ni–Cu alloy widely used in the marine and offshore industry due to their superior resistance to corrosion in seawater and hence easily degraded.To address this problem,laser-based directed energy deposition(LDED)is used to repair or refabricate these high-value worn parts.To optimize the mechanical properties of repaired parts,the commonly applied solution and aging is not ideal because it also changes the properties of the base materials.Consequently,in situ control of the grain structures during the LDED process becomes an effective approach for high-performance repair.In this study,we fabricated a duplex grain structure with small grain size and low texture intensity using low laser power and scanning velocity.The duplex microstructure consists of short columnar grains and zigzag-distributed fine equiaxed grains.The formation of this grain structure is dependent on both the solidification and recrystallization mechanisms.The strength of this grain structure is improved to 523.5 MPa without the sacrifice of ductility,which is instead 20%higher than that of the counterpart consisting of typical columnar grains due to the grain refinement and crack toughening.The mechanical properties of the alloy with the duplex grain structure are even comparable to heat-treated Monel K-500 fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing.This work provides valuable insights into the in situ optimization of the microstructure and mechanical properties of LDED-fabricated parts.

High-performance martensitic stainless steel nanocomposite powder for direct energy deposition prepared by ball milling

Direct energy deposition(DED)has great potential for the production of stainless steel matrix nanocomposite parts.However,the propensity of nanoparticle agglomeration leads to the difficulty in realizing homogenous dispersion of nanoparticles in the matrix.In this study,a series of agglomeration-free nanoWC-Co-reinforced 420 stainless steel matrix nanocomposite powders with high flowability were prepared by ball milling under the optimal parameters.The effect of ball milling time on the properties of the composite powders was investigated.Excellent powder properties ensure the DED processing performance.Furthermore,the corresponding composites were fabricated by DED,and the effects of nano-WC-Co content on the properties of the composites were comprehensively investigated.The contact angles between the single pass cladding layer and the substrate change with increasing nano-WC-Co content(decrease from 127.38°to 113.07°).The different contact angles will significantly influence the quality of the multipass cladding layer.Furthermore,the addition of nanoWC-Co leads not only to further grain refinement but also to more pronounced isotropy of the micros tructure.With the increase in nano-WC-Co content,the corrosion resistance is significantly improved(62.28%lower corrosion current for 420-15 wt%nano-WC-Co than for 420).

Globularization Mechanism and Near Isotropic Properties in Subcritical Heat‑Treated Ti6Al4V Fabricated by Directed Energy Deposition

Microstructure with globularαphase is desirable as it contributes to preferable comprehensive mechanical properties for titanium alloys.However,titanium alloys fabricated by directed energy deposition(DED)are mainly characterized by the lamellarαphase within the basket-weave microstructure,which often leads to severe anisotropy and inferior low cycle fatigue(LCF)properties.To address this,the subcritical annealing and the cyclic annealing were applied to DED Ti–6Al–4V in order to achieve the transformation from the lamellarαphase to the globularαphase.The microstructural characteristics and the globularization behavior ofαphase during heat treatment were investigated.The results show that the aspect ratio ofαis significantly decreased with the subcritical annealing due to the coarsening of lamellarα.Furthermore,the globularαis obtained with the cyclic annealing as a combination result of the termination dissolution and the side surface growth of the lamellarα.These contribute to a pronounced reduction of 85.4%in the ductility anisotropy,compared with the as-built specimens,and superior comprehensive mechanical properties including LCF are achieved with the formation of globularα.

Effect of Aging Parameters on Inconel 718 Fabricated by Laser Directed Energy Deposition

Inconel 718 is a nickel-based superalloy of high interest in high temperature applications such as turbine parts.To be used in such applications,heat treatments are commonly applied to dissolute Laves phase and to achieve𝛾γ′phase.However,conventional heat treatment methods for wrought Inconel 718 may not be suitable for Inconel 718 fabricated by laser directed energy deposition(LDED)due to its unique microstructure formed during the rapid solidification process.There has been a lack of investigation in heat treatments for Inconel 718 fabricated by this process,specifically around the impact of aging parameters on this alloy.In this study,the effects of aging parameters were studied by performing seven different heat treatments,including solutionising and aging treatments.Our results indicate that for LDED Inconel 718,a high temperature solution treatment of 1100℃for 1 h followed by single aging at 650℃for 20 h achieved a tensile strength and elongation of 1247 MPa and 23%,respectively.Further,results indicated that even with a shorter aging time of 10 h,γ′phase was found to be of comparable size to the standard double aged treatment.

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.

Effect of ultrasonic micro-forging treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of GH3039 superalloy processed by directed energy deposition

In this work,ultrasonic micro-forging treatment(UMFT)was introduced to achieve homogeneous microstructure,reduce defects and improve mechanical properties of GH3039 superalloy cladding layer processed by directed energy deposition(DED).The microstructure,defects and mechanical properties of the cladding layers treated by UMFT with different ultrasonic powers(UIPs)were investigated.Results revealed a gradient structure as equiaxed grains distributed at the top,a columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)region that mixed of columnar dendrites and equiaxed grains distributed at the middle and columnar dendrites at the bottom of the cladding layer was formed.After UMFT,the proportion of equiaxed grains was increased,the average size of equiaxed grains was refined to 10μm from 16μm,the orientation of grains was more uniform and the phases enriched of Al,Ti,C,Nb and Mo were precipitated.The grain refinement can be attributed to the fracture of columnar dendrites induced by the ultrasonic vibration during solidification.Besides,the porosity of the cladding layer was reduced after UMFT.The microhardness of the cladding layers exhibited a depth-dependent gradient at the top region.The microhardness of the top surface was the highest and showed an increasing trend with the increase of UIP.The microhardness of different grain morphologies exhibited no substantial difference.However,due to grain refinement and precipitation of strengthening phase induced by UMFT,the microhadness of some local locations were improved.These results indicated UMFT has a significant effect on improving the microstructure,defects and mechanical properties of the deposited cladding layer.

Effect of substrate cooling on the epitaxial growth of Ni-based single-crystal superalloy fabricated by direct energy deposition

The columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)or the formation of stray grains in the laser melting deposition is the least desirable for the repair of single-crystal blades.In this work,the forced water-cooling was conducted on a single-crystal Rene N5 substrate during the direct energy deposition(DED).The single track remelting,one-layer,two-layer,and eight-layer depositions were investigated to explore the grain growth mechanism.The solidification conditions of the DED process,including temperature field,temperature gradient,and solidification speed,were numerically analyzed by a finite element model.The single-track remelting results showed that the fraction of columnar crystal regions increases from55.81%in the air-cooled sample to 77.14%in the water-cooled one.The single-track deposits of one-and two-layer have the same trend,where the proportion of columnar crystal height was higher under the forced water-cooled condition.The electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD)grain-structure maps of an eight-layer deposit show that the epitaxial growth height increases from 1 mm in the air-cooling sample to 1.5 mm in the water-cooling one.The numerical results showed that the tempe rature gradient in[0011 direction was significantly increased by using forced water-cooling.In conclusion,the in-situ substrate cooling can become a potential method to promote epitaxial growth during DED via the influence on CET occurrence.