On the role of cellular microstructure in austenite reversion in selective laser melted maraging steel

Cellular microstructure is a unique feature in alloys fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM).Abundant efforts have been made to reveal the formation mechanism of cellular microstructures and its influences on mechanical performances,while its potential role in microstructure architecting during post-heat treatment is rarely explored.In this work,we investigated the features of cellular microstructures in an SLM-fabricated 18Ni(300)steel and revealed how this microstructure influences austenite reversion upon aging.Segregation of Ti and Mo is experimentally detected at cell boundaries.It is interestingly found that a distinctive reverted austenite network forms rapidly along cell boundaries during aging,whereas much less austenite is found in conventionally treated 18Ni(300)steels.The rapid austenite reversion in SLM-fabricated material proceeds mainly via the growth of retained austenite on cell boundaries while the nucleation and growth of new austenite grains is negligible.Phase-field simulations suggest austenite grows in a fast,partitionless manner along cell boundaries where the chemical driving force for austen-ite reversion is substantially enhanced by Ti and Mo segregations,but in a sluggish,partitioning manner towards cell interiors.Contrary to conventional views that austenite fraction should be confined to avoid strength reduction,current SLM-fabricated 18Ni(300)steel containing∼13%cellular austenite is found to have higher tensile strength compared to its counterparts with negligible austenite.The design of austen-ite also shows its potential to enhance fracture toughness.The current study demonstrates that cellular structures could substantially alter austenite reversion behavior,providing a new route for microstructure architecting in additively manufactured steels.

Role of processing parameters on relative density,microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted titanium alloy

The relationships between the selective laser melting(SLM)processing parameters including laser power,scanning speed and hatch space,the relative density,the microstructure,and resulting mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy were investigated in this work.The result shows that laser power acts a dominant role in determining the relative density in comparison with scanning speed and hatch space.The optimal SLM process window for fabricating relative density>99%samples is located in the energy density range of 34.72 J·mm^(-3)to 52.08 J·mm^(-3),where the laser power range is between 125 W and 175 W.An upward trend is found in the micro-hardness as the energy density is increased.The optimum SLM processing parameters of Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy are:laser power of 150 W,scanning speed of 1,600 mm·s^(-1),hatch space of 0.08 mm,and layer thickness of 0.03 mm.The highest ultimate tensile strength,yield strength,and ductility under the optimum processing parameter are achieved,which are 1,205 MPa,1,099 MPa,and 8%,respectively.The results of this study can be used to guide SLM production Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy parts.

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.

Microstructure and electrochemical corrosion behavior of selective laser melted Ti−6Al−4V alloy in simulated artificial saliva

Ti−6Al−4V alloy was fabricated via selective laser melting(SLM)to improve its corrosion resistance for implant.The microstructure and electrochemical corrosion behavior were investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),electrochemical test and contact angle test.It can be found that the as-selective laser melted(as-SLMed)Ti−6Al−4V alloys showβcolumnar microstructure in building direction and nearly circular checkerboard microstructure in scanning direction,while the wrought and wrought+HT samples exhibit equiaxed microstructure.The as-SLMed Ti−6Al−4V alloy exhibits better corrosion resistance than the wrought and wrought+HT samples due to hydrophobicity,high grain boundary density and uniform distribution of alloying elements in simulated artificial saliva at 37℃.

Effect of Trace Addition of Ceramic on Microstructure Development and Mechanical Properties of Selective Laser Melted AlSi10Mg Alloy

Selective laser melting(SLM)is an emerging additive manufacturing technology for fabricating aluminum alloys and aluminum matrix composites.Nevertheless,it remains unclear how to improve the properties of laser manufactured aluminum alloy by adding ceramic reinforcing particles.Here the effect of trace addition of TiB2 ceramic(1%weight fraction)on microstructural and mechanical properties of SLM-produced AlSi10Mg composite parts was investigated.The densification level increased with increasing laser power and decreasing scan speed.A near fully dense composite part(99.37%)with smooth surface morphology and elevated inter-layer bonding was successfully obtained.A decrease of lattice plane distance was identified by X-ray diffraction with the laser scan speed decreased,which implied that the crystal lattices were distorted due to the dissolution of Si and TiB2 particles.A homogeneous composite microstructure with the distribution of surface-smoothened TiB2 particles was present,and a small amount of Si particles precipitated at the interface between reinforcing particles and matrix.In contrast to the AlSi10Mg alloy,the composites showed a stabilized microhardness distribution.A higher ultimate tensile strength of 380.0 MPa,yield strength of 250.4 MPa and elongation of 3.43%were obtained even with a trace amount of ceramic addition.The improvement of tensile properties can be attributed to multiple mechanisms including solid solution strengthening,load-bearing strengthening and dispersion strengthening.This research provides a theoretical basis for ceramic reinforced aluminum matrix composites by additive manufacturing.

Densification,microstructural features and tensile properties of selective laser melted AlMgSiScZr alloy from single track to block specimen

The selective laser melting(SLM)processed aluminum alloys have already aroused researchers’attention in aerospace,rail transport and petrochemical engineering due to the comprehensive advantages of low density,good corrosion resistance and high mechanical performance.In this paper,an Al-14.1Mg-0.47Si-0.31Sc-0.17Zr alloy was fabricated via SLM.The characteristics of single track at different process parameters,and the influence of hatch spacing on densification,microstructural features and tensile properties of block specimens were systematically studied.The hatch spacing has an influence on the overlap ratio of single track,and further affects the internal forming quality of printed specimen.At a laser power of 160 W and scanning speed of 400 mm/s,the densification of block specimen increased first and then decreased with the increase of hatch spacing.The nearly full dense specimen(98.7%)with a tensile strength of 452 MPa was fabricated at a hatch spacing of 80μm.Typical characteristics of dimple and cleavage on the tensile fracture of the AlMgSiScZr alloy showed the mixed fracture of ductility and brittleness.

Interface microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted multilayer functionally graded materials

Functionally graded material(FGM)can tailor properties of components such as wear resistance,corrosion resistance,and functionality to enhance the overall performance.The selective laser melting(SLM)additive manufacturing highlights the capability in manufacturing FGMs with a high geometrical complexity and manufacture flexibility.In this work,the 316L/CuSn10/18Ni300/CoCr four-type materials FGMs were fabricated using SLM.The microstructure and properties of the FGMs were investigated to reveal the effects of SLM processing parameters on the defects.A large number of microcracks were found at the 316L/CuSn10 interface,which initiated from the fusion boundary of 316L region and extended along the building direction.The elastic modulus and nano-hardness in the 18Ni300/CoCr fusion zone decreased significantly,less than those in the 18Ni300 region or the CoCr region.The iron and copper elements were well diffused in the 316L/CuSn10 fusion zone,while elements in the CuSn10/18Ni300 and the 18Ni300/CoCr fusion zones showed significantly gradient transitions.Compared with other regions,the width of the CuSn10/18Ni300 interface and the CuSn10 region expand significantly.The mechanisms of materials fusion and crack generation at the 316L/CuSn10 interface were discussed.In addition,FGM structures without macro-crack were built by only altering the deposition subsequence of 316L and CuSn10,which provides a guide for the additive manufacturing of FGM structures.

Selective laser melted near-beta titanium alloy Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-1Cr-1Fe:Microstructure and mechanical properties

In this work,a near-beta Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-1Cr-1Fe titanium alloy was fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM),and the microstructure evolution together with the mechanical properties was studied.The as-fabricated alloy showed columnarβgrains spreading over multiple layers and paralleling to the building direction.The distinct microstructure of as-fabricated alloy was composed of near-β(more than 98.1%)with a submicron cellular structure.Different SLM processing parameters such as hatch spacing could affect the microstructure of as-fabricated alloy,which could thus further significantly affect the mechanical properties of as-fabricated alloy.In addition,the as-fabricated alloy with the distinct microstructure exhibits yield strength of 818 MPa combined with elongation of more than 19%,which shows that SLM is a potential technology for manufacturing near-beta titanium components.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V induced by annealing treatment

Ti-6Al-4V specimens were fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM)to study the effect of thermal treatment on the phase transformation,elemental diffusion,microstructure,and mechanical properties.The results show that vanadium enriches around the boundary ofαphases with increasing annealing temperature to 973 K,andα′phases transform intoα+βat 973 K.The typicalα′martensite microstructure transforms to fine-scale equiaxed microstructure at 973 K and the equiaxed microstructure significantly coarsens with increasing annealing temperature to 1273 K.The SLM Ti-6Al-4V alloy annealed at 973 K exhibits a well-balanced combination of strength and ductility((1305±25)MPa and(37±3)%,respectively).

Effect of platform temperature on microstructure and corrosion resistance of selective laser melted Al-Mg-Sc alloy plate

The Al-3.40Mg-1.08Sc alloy plates were manufactured by selective laser melting(SLM) at platform temperatures of 35 ℃ and 200 ℃, respectively, and the corrosion performance of them was studied along height direction. The results show that the corrosion resistance of the alloy plate built at platform temperature of 35 ℃ along height direction is basically the same due to a uniform microstructure;While the corrosion resistance of the alloy plate built at platform temperature of 200 ℃ along height direction is different. The evolution of microstructure and the distribution of secondary phases are investigated, and the results show that the Cu-rich phases in alloy play a key role on corrosion performance. At higher platform temperature, the cooling rate is relative slow and a certain degree of in situ ageing leads to the significantly different distribution of Cu-rich phases along grain boundary. Specimens built at the platform temperature of 200 ℃ are inclined to locate at the crossed grain boundary, rather than continuous segregation of Cu-rich phases along grain boundary that is built at platform temperature of 35 ℃. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of Al-3.40Mg-1.08Sc alloy plate manufactured at platform temperature of 200 ℃ is higher, and presents a gradually decreasing trend along height direction.

Selective laser melted AZ91D magnesium alloy with superior balance of strength and ductility

In the context of global carbon neutrality, the application of lightweight magnesium alloys is becoming increasingly attractive. In this study, selective laser melting(SLM) was employed to achieve nearly full dense and crack-free AZ91D components with fine equiaxed grain structure. The formation mechanism of typical pore defects(gas pore, lack-of-fusion pore and keyhole pore) and melting modes(keyhole mode and conduction mode) were systematically studied by varying the laser power and scanning speed. The morphology and volume fraction of the pores under different processing conditions were characterized. A criterion based on the depth-to-width ratio of the melt pool was established to identify different melting modes. The strength and ductility(tensile strength up to 340 MPa and uniform elongation of 8.9%)of the as deposited AZ91D are far superior to those of the casting components and are comparable to those of its wrought counterparts.The superior balance of strength and ductility of SLMed AZ91D, as well as the negligible anisotropic properties are mainly ascribed to the extremely fine equiaxed grain structure(with average grain size of ~1.2 μm), as well as the discontinuous distribution of β-Al_(12)Mg_(17) phases. It thus provides an alternative way to fabricate high-strength magnesium alloys with complex geometry.

High-strength friction stir welding of selective laser melted AlSi10Mg alloys

Selective laser melted AlSi10Mg alloys with eutectic network structures were successfully joined by friction stir welding.Sound butt-lap joints have been achieved.A novel enlarged pin was designed to overcome kissing bonding defects and increase interfacial bonding area.The hook defect in a conventional butt-lap joint was avoided due to the limitation of the upward flow of interfacial materials,and the interfacial joining width was 2.5 times of the plate thickness.The eutectic Si network structure was broken into the re-dispersed rich-Si phases,improving joint performance.The ultimate tensile strength reached 83.1%of the matrix,higher than those of conventional melting techniques.

Tailorable microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted TiB/Ti-6Al-4V composite by heat treatment

This paper systematically investigated the effect of solution and artificial aging heat treatments on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of TiB/Ti-6Al-4V composites in situ fabricated by selective laser melting.The results showed that the fully martensite microstructure with TiB clusters of the as-built samples was transformed into lamellarα+βmicrostructure with TiB strips after solution heat treatment.With increasing the temperature,theαlaths and TiB particles coarsened and theβvolume fraction increased.After aging heat treatment,βvolume fraction decreased and TiB had no obvious changes.A superior combination of the yield strength of(1146.8±28.2)MPa and even higher plasticity and ultimate compressive strength((1680.1±18.3)MPa)than the as-built ones was obtained by solution heat treatment at 1000℃+water quenching and aging at 600℃for 6 hþair cooling.

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.

Refinement of α′Martensite by Oxygen in Selective Laser Melted Ti-6Al-4V

Oxygen is crucial in influencing the microstructure evolution of selective laser melted(SLMed)Ti–6Al–4V,significantly impacting its applicability in various sectors.Therefore,this study investigates the influnce of oxygen on microstructure evolution,particularlyα′martensite transformation and refinement mechanisms.Four alloys,Ti–6Al–4V–xO(x=0.11,0.16,0.21,and 0.25 wt%),were fabricated by the SLM process.The martensite start temperature(M_(s))of Ti–6Al–4V,as evaluated by computation,is 656.8°C,and oxygen was found to increase the M_(s) by about 10°C per 0.1 wt%.The SLMed alloy samples exhibit[001]_(β)growth texture along the build direction.Crystallographic analysis of martensite morphology suggests internal twinning on{1011}planes as the lattice invariant strain,which becomes more predominant with increasing oxygen content.Refinement of α′martensite plates by oxygen is due to increased lattice distortion,reduced prior β grain size,and oxygen segregation toβgrain boundaries.Our findings contribute to improving the understanding of the effect of oxygen on the transformation mechanism ofα′martensite during SLM of Ti–6Al–4V.

Serrated chip characteristics and formation mechanism in high-speed machining of selective laser melted Ti6Al4V alloys

Serrated chips,consisting of extremely uneven plastic deformation,are a prominent feature of high-speed machining of difficultto-machine materials.This paper focuses on the evolution of chip form,chip morphology features(chip free surface,tool-chip contact surface,and chip edge),and chip segment parameters in subsequent high-speed(vc=50 and 150 m min-1)machining of selective laser melted(SLMed)Ti6Al4V alloys,which are significantly different from conventional Ti6Al4V alloy in microstructure,mechanical properties and machinability.The effect of laser beam scanning schemes(0°,67.5°,and 90°),machined surfaces(top and front),and cutting speeds on serrated chip characteristics of SLMed Ti6Al4Valloys was investigated.Based on the Johnson-Cook constitutive model of SLMed Ti6Al4Valloys,an orthogonal cutting model was developed to better understand the effect of physical-mechanical properties on the shear localization,which dominates the formation mechanism of serrated chips in post-machining of SLMed Ti6Al4V alloy.The results showed that the critical cutting speed(CCS)for chip serration of SLMed Ti6Al4V alloy is lower than that for serrated chips of conventional Ti6Al4V alloy,and the serrated profile of SLMed Ti6Al4V chips was more regular and pronounced.Besides,due to anisotropic microstructure and mechanical properties of SLMed Ti6Al4Valloys,the serration degree of chips produced on the top surfaces of SLMed Ti6Al4Valloys is more prominent than that of chips generated on the front surfaces.In addition,because of the poor deformation coordination and high plastic flow stresses of needle-like martensiteα′,the plastic flow and grain distortion in the adiabatic shear band(ASB)of SLMed Ti6Al4V chips are significantly smaller than those in the ASB of conventional Ti6Al4V with equiaxed grains.

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.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties at high temperature of selective laser melted AlSi10Mg

In this study,the microstructure and tensile properties of selective laser melted AlSilOMg at elevated temperature were investigated with focus on the interfacial region.In-situ SEM and in-situ EBSD analysis were proposed to characterize the microstructural evolution with temperature.The as-fabricated AlSilOMg sample presents high tensile strength with the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of~450 MPa and yield strength(YS)of~300 MPa,which results from the mixed strengthening mechanism among grain boundary,solid solution,dislocation and Orowan looping mechanism.When holding at the temperature below 200℃for 30 min,the micro structure presents little change,and only a slight decrement of yield strength appears due to the relief of the residual stress.However,when the holding temperature further increases to 300℃and 400℃,the coarsening and precipitation of Si particles inα-Al matrix occur obviously,which leads to an obvious decrease of solid solution strength.At the same time,matrix softening and the weakness of dislocation strengthening also play important roles.When the holding temperature reaches to 400℃,the yield strength decreases significantly to about 25 MPa which is very similar to the as-cast Al alloy.This might be concluded that the YS is dominated by the matrix materials.Because the softening mechanism counteracts work hardening,the extremely high elongation occurs.

Microstructure, tensile properties and mechanical anisotropy of selective laser melted 304L stainless steel

The microstructure and mechanical properties of 304 L stainless steel fabricated by selective laser melting are investigated in this study.With the optimized laser processing parameters,a relative density of 99.9%is achieved with fine austenite grains and nanoscale cellular subgrains in size of approximately 0.5μm.The presence ofδ-ferrite andσphase precipitates is identified by the x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.Moreover,the microstructure is identified as an austenite matrix with about 4%δ-ferrite and a trace amount ofσphase by using electron backscattered diffraction analysis.These smallσphase particles are mainly distributed along austenite grain boundaries.Furthermore,the presence of nanoscale cellular subgrains contributes to the good tensile strength and ductility of the selective laser melted 304 L,along with precipitate strengthening and strain hardening.Tensile property anisotropy is also identified in this 304 L,which is attributed to the microstructure difference on vertical and horizontal planes.

Microstructure, porosity and mechanical properties of selective laser melted AlSi10Mg

Finite element modeling(FEM),microscopy,X-ray computed tomography(CT)and mechanical property tests were used to study the microstructure,porosity and mechanical properties of an AlSi10Mg alloy produced by selective laser melting(SLM).The simulation of the melt pool and thermal history under different energy densities produced an optimized result with an energy density of 44.5 J·mm-3.The high cooling rate during the SLM process significantly refined the previous a-Al dendrites.The growth direction of the network-like Al-Si eutectic structure at different orientations confirmed the anisotropic nature of the microstructure.Furthermore,the microhardness,tensile testing and fracture analysis results proved that there were no obvious distinctions in the strength between the transverse and longitudinal directions,and that the ductility was anisotropic,possibly due to the shape and distribution of the pores.The pores measured by X-ray CT at different energy densities confirmed that the sphericity of the pores was inversely related to pores volumes.With optimized processing conditions,the porosity of the selective laser melted sample decreased leading to the improved fabricated fuel system component via SLM.