Study of the intrinsic mechanisms of nickel additive for grain refinement and strength enhancement of laser aided additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V

It is well-known that grain refiners can tailor the microstructure and enhance the mechanical properties of titanium alloys fabricated by additive manufacturing(AM). However, the intrinsic mechanisms of Ni addition on AM-built Ti–6Al–4V alloy is not well established. This limits its industrial applications. This work systematically investigated the influence of Ni additive on Ti–6Al–4V alloy fabricated by laser aided additive manufacturing(LAAM). The results showed that Ni addition yields three key effects on the microstructural evolution of LAAM-built Ti–6Al–4V alloy.(a) Ni additive remarkably refines the prior-β grains, which is due to the widened solidification range. As the Ni addition increased from 0 to 2.5 wt. %, the major-axis length and aspect ratio of the prior-β grains reduced from over 1500 μm and 7 to 97.7 μm and1.46, respectively.(b) Ni additive can discernibly induce the formation of globular α phase,which is attributed to the enhanced concentration gradient between the β and α phases. This is the driving force of globularization according to the termination mass transfer theory. The aspect ratio of the α laths decreased from 4.14 to 2.79 as the Ni addition increased from 0 to2.5 wt. %.(c) Ni as a well-known β-stabilizer and it can remarkably increase the volume fraction of β phase. Room-temperature tensile results demonstrated an increase in mechanical strength and an almost linearly decreasing elongation with increasing Ni addition. A modified mathematical model was used to quantitatively analyze the strengthening mechanism. It was evident from the results that the α lath phase and the solid solutes contribute the most to the overall yield strength of the LAAM-built Ti–6Al–4V–x Ni alloys in this work. Furthermore, the decrease in elongation with increasing Ni addition is due to the deterioration in deformability of the β phase caused by a large amount of solid-solution Ni atoms. These findings can accelerate the development of additively manufactured titanium alloys.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser additive manufactured novel titanium alloy after heat treatment

A novel α+β titanium alloy with multi-alloying addition was designed based on the cluster formula 12[Al-Ti_(12)](AlTi_(2))+5[Al-Ti_(14)](AlV_(1.2)Mo_(0.6)Nb_(0.2))which was derived from Ti-6Al-4V.The nominal composition of this novel alloy was determined as Ti-6.83Al-2.28V-2.14Mo-0.69Nb-6.79Zr.In this study,the novel alloy and Ti-6Al-4V alloy samples were prepared by laser additive manufacturing.The microstructure,micro-hardness,room/high temperature tensile properties of the as-deposited samples were investigated.Compared to Ti-6Al-4V,the novel alloy has much higher room and high temperature(600℃)tensile strengths,which are 1,427.5 MPa and 642.2 MPa,respectively;however,it has a much lower elongation(3.2%)at room temperature because of the finer microstructure.To improve the elongation of the novel alloy,heat treatment was used.After solution at 960℃ or 970℃ for 1 h followed by air cooling and aging at 550℃ for 4 h followed by air cooling,a unique bi-modal microstructure which contains crab-like primaryαand residual β phase is obtained,improving the compression elongation by 80.9% compared to the as-deposited samples.The novel alloy can be used as a high-temperature and high-strength candidate for laser additive manufacturing.

Effect of processing parameters on formability, microstructure, and micro-hardness of a novel laser additive manufactured Ti-6.38Al-3.87V-2.43Mo alloy

A novel Ti-6.38Al-3.87V-2.43Mo alloy was designed with a cluster formula of 12[Al-Ti12](V0.75Mo0.25Ti2)+4[Al-Ti12](Al3)by replacing Ti with Mo/V on the basis of the Ti-Al congruent alloy.The effects of laser power and scanning speed on the molten pool size,surface roughness,relative density,microstructure,and micro-hardness of single-track and bulk Ti-6.38Al-3.87V-2.43Mo samples prepared via laser additive manufacturing(LAM)were investigated.The results show that processing parameters significantly affect the formability,microstructure,and micro-hardness of the alloy.With decreasing laser power from 1,900 W to 1,000 W,the relative density is decreased from 99.86%to 90.91%due to the increase of lack-of-fusion;however,with increasing scanning speed,the relative density does not change significantly,but exceeds 99%.In particular,Ti-6.38Al-3.87V-2.43Mo samples of single-track and bulk exhibit a good formability under an input laser power of 1,900 W and a scanning speed of 8 mm·s_(-1),and display the lowest surface roughness(Ra=13.33μm)and the highest relative density(99.86%).Besides,the microstructure of LAM Ti-6.38Al-3.87V-2.43Mo alloy coarsens with increasing laser power or decreasing scanning speed due to the greater input energy reducing the cooling rate.The coarsening of the microstructure decreases the microhardness of the alloy.

In-situ deposition of apatite layer to protect Mg-based composite fabricated via laser additive manufacturing

Biodegradable magnesium(Mg) and its alloy show huge potential as temporary bone substitute due to the favorable biocompatibility and mechanical compatibility. However, one issue deserves attention is the too fast degradation. In this work, mesoporous bioglass(MBG)with high pore volume(0.59 cc/g) and huge specific surface area(110.78 m^(2)/g) was synthesized using improved sol-gel method, and introduced into Mg-based composite via laser additive manufacturing. Immersion tests showed that the incorporated MBG served as powerful adsorption sites, which promoted the in-situ deposition of apatite by successively adsorbing Ca2+and HPO42-. Such dense apatite film acted as an efficient protection layer and enhanced the corrosion resistance of Mg matrix, which was proved by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Thereby, Mg based composite showed a significantly decreased degradation rate of 0.31 mm/year. Furthermore,MBG also improved the mechanical properties as well as cell behavior. This work highlighted the advantages of MBG in the fabrication of Mg-based implant with enhanced overall performance for orthopedic application.

The Application of Laser Processing on Clutch Manufacture

The first multi-function laser processing system in the domestic for clutch manufacture,with abilities of cutting, jointing and heat treatment,was reported in this paper.One external optical path,double laser heads,adjust device by manual operation,automatically track were employed in this system Also the other parts of vehicles can be fabricated by this system,as well as clutches.The special processing to manufacture the clutches of heavy vehicles,which was developed by the project of this laser processing system,achieved the international standards and satisfied the economic development and nation defense in the do- mestic.

Laser Additive Manufacturing of 316L Stainless Steel Thin-wall Ring Parts

The process parameters of laser additive manufacturing have an important influence on the forming quality of the produced items or parts.In the present work,a finite element model for simulating transient heat transfer in such processes has been implemented using the ANSYS software,and the temperature and stress distributions related to 316L stainless steel thin-walled ring parts have been simulated and analyzed.The effect of the laser power,scanning speed,and scanning mode on temperature distribution,molten pool structure,deformation,and stress field has been studied.The simulation results show that the peak temperature,weld pool size,deformation,and residual stress increase with an increase in laser power and a decrease in the scanning speed.The scanning mode has no obvious effect on temperature distribution,deformation,and residual stress.In addition,a forming experiment was carried out.The experimental results show that the samples prepared by laser power P=800 W,V=6 mm/s,and the normal scanning method display good quality,whereas the samples prepared under other parameters have obvious defects.The experimental findings are consistent with the simulation results.

Laser Additive Manufacturing on Metal Matrix Composites: A Review

Important progresses in the study of laser additive manufacturing on metal matrix composites(MMCs)have been made.Recent efforts and advances in additive manufacturing on 5 types of MMCs are presented and reviewed.The main focus is on the material design,the combination of reinforcement and the metal matrix,the synthesis principle during the manufacturing process,and the resulted microstructures as well as properties.Thereafter,the trend of development in future is forecasted,including:Formation mechanism and reinforcement principle of strengthening phase;Material and process design to actively achieve expected performance;Innovative structure design based on the special properties of laser AM MMCs;Simulation,monitoring and optimization in the process of laser AM MMCs.

Design for Ti-Al-V-Mo-Nb alloys for laser additive manufacturing based on a cluster model and on their microstructure and properties

In this study,α+βTi-Al-V-Mo-Nb alloys with the addition of multiple elements that are suitable for laser additive manufacturing(LAM)were designed according to a Ti-6Al-4V cluster formula.This formula can be expressed as 12[Al-Ti12](AlTi2)+5[Al-Ti14]((Mo,V,Nb)2Ti),in which Mo and Nb were added into the alloys partially instead of V to give alloys with nominal compositions of Ti-6.01Al-3.13V-1.43Nb,Ti-5.97Al-2.33V-2.93Mo,and Ti-5.97Al-2.33V-2.20Mo-0.71Nb(wt.%).The microstructures and mechanical properties of the as-deposited and heat-treated samples prepared via LAM were examined.The sizes of theβcolumnar grains andαlaths in the Nb-containing samples are found to be larger than those of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy,whereas Mo-or Mo/Nb-added alloys contain finer grains.It indicates that Nb gives rise to coarsenedβcolumnar grains andαlaths,while Mo significantly refines them.Furthermore,the single addition of Nb improves the elongation,whereas the single addition of Mo enhances the strength of the alloys.The simultaneous addition of Mo/Nb significantly improves the comprehensive mechanical properties of the alloys,leading to the best properties with an ultimate tensile strength of 1,070 MPa,a yield strength of 1,004 MPa,an elongation of 9%,and micro-hardness of 355 HV.The fracture modes of all the alloys are ductile-brittle mixed fracture.

Role of laser scan strategies in defect control,microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of steel matrix composites prepared by laser additive manufacturing

Steel matrix composites(SMCs)reinforced with WC particles were fabricated via selective laser melting(SLM)by employing various laser scan strategies.A detailed relationship between the SLM strategies,defect formation,microstructural evolution,and mechanical properties of SMCs was established.The laser scan strategies can be manipulated to deliberately alter the thermal history of SMC during SLM processing.Particularly,the involved thermal cycling,which encompassed multiple layers,strongly affected the processing quality of SMCs.Sshaped scan sequence combined with interlayer offset and orthogonal stagger mode can effectively eliminate the metallurgical defects and retained austenite within the produced SMCs.However,due to large thermal stress,microcracks that were perpendicular to the building direction formed within the SMCs.By employing the checkerboard filling(CBF)hatching mode,the thermal stress arising during SLM can be significantly reduced,thus preventing the evolution of interlayer microcracks.The compressive properties of fabricated SMCs can be tailored at a high compressive strength(~3031.5 MPa)and fracture strain(~24.8%)by adopting the CBF hatching mode combined with the optimized scan sequence and stagger mode.This study demonstrates great feasibility in tuning the mechanical properties of SLM-fabricated SMCs without varying the set energy input,e.g.,laser power and scanning speed.

Femtosecond laser fabrication of nanograting-based distributed fiber sensors for extreme environmental applications

The femtosecond laser has emerged as a powerful tool for micro-and nanoscale device fabrication. Through nonlinear ionization processes, nanometer-sized material modifications can be inscribed in transparent materials for device fabrication. This paper describes femtosecond precision inscription of nanograting in silica fiber cores to form both distributed and point fiber sensors for sensing applications in extreme environmental conditions. Through the use of scanning electron microscope imaging and laser processing optimization,high-temperature stable, Type II femtosecond laser modifications were continuously inscribed,point by point, with only an insertion loss at 1 d B m~(-1) or 0.001 d B per point sensor device.High-temperature performance of fiber sensors was tested at 1000℃, which showed a temperature fluctuation of ±5.5℃ over 5 days. The low laser-induced insertion loss in optical fibers enabled the fabrication of a 1.4 m, radiation-resilient distributed fiber sensor. The in-pile testing of the distributed fiber sensor further showed that fiber sensors can execute stable and distributed temperature measurements in extreme radiation environments. Overall, this paper demonstrates that femtosecond-laser-fabricated fiber sensors are suitable measurement devices for applications in extreme environments.

Laser additive manufacturing of biodegradable Mg-based alloys for biomedical applications: A review

Metallic implants are widely used in internal fixation of bone fracture in surgical treatment.They are mainly used for providing mechanical support and stability during bone reunion,which usually takes a few months to complete.Conventional implants made of stainless steels,Ti-based alloys and CoCrMo alloys have been widely used for orthopedic reconstruction due to their high strength and high corrosion resistance.Such metallic implants will remain permanently inside the body after implantation,and a second surgery after bone healing is needed because the long-term presence of implant will lead to various problems.An implant removal surgery not only incurs expenditure,but also risk and psychological burden.As a consequence,studies on the development of biodegradable implants,which would degrade and disappear in vivo after bone reunion is completed,have drawn researchers’attention.In this connection,Mg-based alloys have shown great potentials as promising implant materials mainly due to their low density,inherent biocompatibility,biodegradability and mechanical properties close to those of bone.However,the high degradation rate of Mg-based implants in vivo is the biggest hurdle to overcome.Apart from materials selection,a fixation implant is ideally tailor-made in size and shape for an individual case,for best surgical outcomes.Therefore,laser additive manufacturing(LAM),with the advent of sophisticated laser systems and software,is an ideal process to solve these problems.In this paper,we reviewed the progress in LAM of biodegradable Mg-based alloys for biomedical applications.The effect of powder properties and laser processing parameter on the formability and quality was thoroughly discussed.The microstructure,phase constituents and metallurgical defects formed in the LAMed samples were delineated.The mechanical properties,corrosion resistance,biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of the LAMed samples were summarized and compared with samples fabricated by traditional processes.In addition,we have made some suggestions for advancing the knowledge in the LAM of Mg-based alloys for biomedical implants.

Ultrafast dynamics observation during femtosecond laser-material interaction

Femtosecond laser technology has attracted significant attention from the viewpoints of fundamental and application;especially femtosecond laser processing materials present the unique mechanism of laser-material interaction.Under the extreme nonequilibrium conditions imposed by femtosecond laser irradiation,many fundamental questions concerning the physical origin of the material removal process remain unanswered.In this review,cutting-edge ultrafast dynamic observation techniques for investigating the fundamental questions,including timeresolved pump-probe shadowgraphy,ultrafast continuous optical imaging,and four-dimensional ultrafast scanning electron microscopy,are comprehensively surveyed.Each technique is described in depth,beginning with its basic principle,followed by a description of its representative applications in laser-material interaction and its strengths and limitations.The consideration of temporal and spatial resolutions and panoramic measurement at different scales are two major challenges.Hence,the prospects for technical advancement in this field are discussed finally.

Microstructure Evolution and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Laser Additive Manufacturing Ti-6Al-4V Under High Strain Rate

The dynamic mechanical properties of the Ti-6Al-4V(TC4)alloy prepared by laser additive manufacturing(LAM-TC4)under the high strain rate(HSR)are proposed.The dynamic compression experiments of LAM-TC4 are conducted with the split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB)equipment.The results show that as the strain rate increases,the widths of the adiabatic shear band(ASB),the micro-hardness,the degree of grain refinement near the ASB,and the dislocation density of grains grow gradually.Moreover,the increase of dislocation density of grains is the root factor in enhancing the yield strength of LAM-TC4.Meanwhile,the heat produced from the distortion and dislocations of grains promotes the heat softening effect favorable for the recrystallization of grains,resulting in the grain refinement of ASB.Furthermore,the contrastive analysis between LAM-TC4 and TC4 prepared by forging(F-TC4)indicates that under the HSR,the yield strength of LAM-TC4 is higher than that of F-TC4.

Toward understanding the microstructure characteristics,phase selection and magnetic properties of laser additive manufactured Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets

Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets play a crucial role in energy conversion and electronic devices.The essential magnetic properties of Nd-Fe-B magnets,particularly coercivity and remanent magnetization,are significantly infuenced by the phase characteristics and microstructure.In this work,Nd-Fe-B magnets were manufactured using vacuum induction melting(VIM),laser directed energy deposition(LDED)and laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)technologies.Themicrostructure evolution and phase selection of Nd-Fe-B magnets were then clarified in detail.The results indicated that the solidification velocity(V)and cooling rate(R)are key factors in the phase selection.In terms of the VIM-casting Nd-Fe-B magnet,a large volume fraction of theα-Fe soft magnetic phase(39.7 vol.%)and Nd2Fe17Bxmetastable phase(34.7 vol.%)areformed due to the low R(2.3×10-1?C s-1),whereas only a minor fraction of the Nd2Fe14B hard magnetic phase(5.15 vol.%)is presented.For the LDED-processed Nd-Fe-B deposit,although the Nd2Fe14B hard magnetic phase also had a low value(3.4 vol.%)as the values of V(<10-2m s-1)and R(5.06×103?C s-1)increased,part of theα-Fe soft magnetic phase(31.7vol.%)is suppressed,and a higher volume of Nd2Fe17Bxmetastable phases(47.5 vol.%)areformed.As a result,both the VIM-casting and LDED-processed Nd-Fe-B deposits exhibited poor magnetic properties.In contrast,employing the high values of V(>10-2m s-1)and R(1.45×106?C s-1)in the LPBF process resulted in the substantial formation of the Nd2Fe14B hard magnetic phase(55.8 vol.%)directly from the liquid,while theα-Fe soft magnetic phase and Nd2Fe17Bxmetastable phase precipitation are suppressed in the LPBF-processed Nd-Fe-B magnet.Additionally,crystallographic texture analysis reveals that the LPBF-processedNd-Fe-B magnets exhibit isotropic magnetic characteristics.Consequently,the LPBF-processed Nd-Fe-B deposit,exhibiting a coercivity of 656 k A m-1,remanence of 0.79 T and maximum energy product of 71.5 k J m-3,achieved an acceptable magnetic performance,comparable to other additive manufacturing processed Nd-Fe-B magnets from MQP(Nd-lean)Nd-Fe-Bpowder.

Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic Structures by Laser Engineered Net Shaping

Ceramic is an important material with outstanding physical properties whereas impurities and porosities generated by traditional manufacturing methods limits its further industrial applications. In order to solve this problem, direct fabrication of Al2O3 ceramic structures is conducted by laser engineered net shaping system and pure ceramic powders. Grain refinement strengthening method by doping Zr O2 and dispersion strengthening method by doping Si C are proposed to suppress cracks in fabricating Al2O3 structure. Phase compositions, microstructures as well as mechanical properties of fabricated specimens are then analyzed. The results show that the proposed two methods are effective in suppressing cracks and structures of single-bead wall, arc and cylinder ring are successfully deposited. Stable phase of α-Al2O3 and t-Zr O2 are obtained in the fabricated specimens. Micro-hardness higher than 1700 HV are also achieved for both Al2O3 and Al2O3/Zr O2, which are resulted from fine directional crystals generated by the melting-solidification process. Results presented indicate that additive manufacturing is a very attractive technique for the production of high-performance ceramic structures in a single step.

Laser-assisted growth of hierarchically architectured 2D MoS2 crystals on metal substrate for potential energy applications

Recently, there has been substantial interest in the large-scale synthesis of hierarchically architectured transition metal dichalcogenides and designing electrodes for energy conversion and storage applications such as electrocatalysis, rechargeable batteries, and supercapacitors. Here we report a novel hybrid laser-assisted micro/nanopatterning and sulfurization method for rapid manufacturing of hierarchically architectured molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) layers directly on molybdenum sheets. This laser surface structuring not only provides the ability to design specific micro/nanostructured patterns but also significantly enhances the crystal growth kinetics. Micro and nanoscale characterization methods are employed to study the morphological, structural, and atomistic characteristics of the formed crystals at various laser processing and crystal growth conditions. To compare the performance characteristics of the laser-structured and unstructured samples, Li-ion battery cells are fabricated and their energy storage capacity is measured. The hierarchically architectured MoS2 crystals show higher performance with specific capacities of about 10 mAh cm-2, at a current rate of 0.1 mA cm-2. This rapid laser patterning and growth of 2D materials directly on conductive sheets may enable the future large-scale and roll-to-roll manufacturing of energy and sensing devices.

Spatial light modulation for femtosecond laser manufacturing:Current developments and challenges

Since the invention of lasers,spatial-light-modulated laser processing has become a powerful tool for various applications.It enables multidimensional and dynamic modulation of the laser beam,which significantly improves the processing efficiency,accuracy,and flexibility,and presents wider prospects over traditional mechanical technologies for machining three-dimensional,hard,brittle,or transparent materials.In this review,we introduce:(1)The role of spatial light modulation technology in the development of femtosecond laser manufacturing;(2)the structured light generated by spatial light modulation and its generation methods;and(3)representative applications of spatial-light-modulated femtosecond laser manufacturing,including aberration correction,parallel processing,focal field engineering,and polarization control.Finally,we summarize the present challenges in the field and possible future research.

Microstructural features of Ti-6Al-4V manufactured via high power laser directed energy deposition under low-cycle fatigue

Laser additive manufacturing(LAM)technique has unique advantages in producing geometrically complex metallic components.However,the poor low-cycle fatigue property(LCF)of LAM parts restricts its widely used.Here,the microstructural features of a Ti-6 Al-4 V alloy manufactured via high power laser directed energy deposition subjected to low-cycle fatigue loading were studied.Before fatigue loading,the microstructure of the as-deposited parts was found to exhibit a non-homogeneous distribution of columnar prior-βgrains(200-4000μm)at various scanning velocities(300-1500 mm/min)and relatively coarseα-laths(1.0-4.5μm).Under cyclic loading,fatigue microcracks typically initiated within the alignedαphases in the preferred orientation(45°to the loading direction)at the surface of the fatigue specimens.Fatigued Ti-6 Al-4 V exhibited a single straight dislocation character at low strain amplitudes(<0.65%)and dislocation dipoles or even tangled dislocations at high strain amplitudes(>1.1%).In addition,dislocation substructure features,such as dislocation walls,stacking faults,and dislocation networks,were also observed.These findings may provide opportunities to understand the fatigue failure mechanism of additive manufactured titanium parts.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TiC-Reinforced Al–Mg–Sc–Zr Composites Additively Manufactured by Laser Direct Energy Deposition

In order to refine the microstructure and improve the performance of direct energy deposited(DED)additively manufactured Al–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy,TiC-modified Al–Mg–Sc–Zr composites were prepared by DED and the effect of TiC content on the microstructure and performance was studied.In the absence of TiC particle,the microstructure of Al–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy prepared by DED consisted of fine grains with average size of 8.36μm,and well-dispersed nano-Al;(Sc,Zr)particles inside the grains and Mg;Si phase along the grain boundaries.With the addition of 1 wt%TiC,the microstructure of TiC/Al–Mg–Sc–Zr prepared by DED became finer apparently compared with that without TiC;while the further increase of TiC content to 3 wt%,the microstructure of TiC/Al–Mg–Sc–Zr prepared by DED became coarser with appearance of a new kind of needle-like(Ti,Zr);Si;phase.Also,the addition of TiC decreased the porosity of Al–Mg–Sc–Zr prepared by DED.Simultaneously,after the addition of TiC,the tensile strength increased from 283.25 MPa to 344.98–361.51 MPa,and the elongation increased from 3.61%to 9.58–14.10%.The potential mechanism of the microstructure evolution and strength improvement was discussed.This research will provide new insights into the available metal matrix composites by laser additive manufacturing(LAM).

Laser additive manufactured high-performance Fe-based composites with unique strengthening structure

Steel matrix composites(SMCs),reinforced by ceramic particles,have received a consistent attention in recent years.Using conventional methods to prepare SMCs is generally challenging,and the mechanical properties of conventionally fabricated SMCs are limited.In this study,we successfully fabricated highperformance SMCs by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)of a composite powder consisting of Fe-based alloy powder and submicron-sized WC particles.The effect of laser energy density on the phase formation,microstructural evolution,overall density and resulting mechanical properties of LPBF-fabricated composites was investigated.The present results show that a novel Fe_(2)W_(4)C carbidic network precipitates in the solidified microstructure entailing segregations along the boundaries of cellular sub-grains.The presence of this carbidic network hampers the growth of sub-grains even at elevated temperatures,and hence,stabilizes the grain size though prepared at a broad range of different energy densities.The exact distribution of the Fe_(2)W_(4)C carbides depends on the employed laser energy densities,as for instance they are more uniformly distributed at higher energy input.The density of LPBF samples reaches the maximum value of 99.4%at 150 J/mm^(3).In this parameter set,high microhardness of~753 HV,compression strength of~3350 MPa and fracture strain of~24.4%are obtained.The enhanced mechanical properties are ascribed to less metallurgical defects,higher volume fraction of the martensitic phase and increasing pile-up dislocations resulting from the pinning effect by Fe_(2)W_(4)C carbide.