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.

Laser Additive Manufacturing of Bio-inspired Metallic Structures

High-performance/multifunctional metallic components primarily determine the service performance of equip-ment applied in the aerospace,aviation,and automobile industries.Organisms have developed structures with specific properties over millions of years of natural evolution,thereby providing inspiration for the design of high-performance structures to satisfy the increasing demands of modern industries.From the perspective of manufacturing,the ability of conventional processing technologies is inadequate for fabricating these complex structural configurations.By contrast,laser additive manufacturing(AM)is an effective method for fabricating complex metallic bio-inspired structures owing to its layer-by-layer deposition advantage.Herein,recent devel-opments in the laser AM of bio-inspired cellular,plate,and truss structures,as well as the materials used in laser AM for bio-inspired printing are briefly reviewed.The organisms being imitated include butterfly,Norway spruce,mantis shrimp,beetle,and water spider,which expand the diversity of multifunctional structures for laser AM.The mechanical properties and functions of laser-AM-processed bio-inspired structures are discussed.Additionally,the challenges,possible outcomes,and directions of utilizing laser AM technology to fabricate high-performance/multifunctional metallic bio-inspired structures in the future are outlined.

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.

In uence of Particle Size on Laser Absorption and Scanning Track Formation Mechanisms of Pure Tungsten Powder During Selective Laser Melting

A three-dimensional laser absorption model based on ray tracing was established to describe the coupled interaction of a laser beam with particles in the powder layers of pure tungsten(W)material processed by selective laser melting(SLM).The influence of particle size on the powder-to-laser absorptivity and underlying absorption behavior was investigated.An intrinsic relationship between the absorption,distribution of absorbed irradiance within the powder layers,and surface morphology and geometric characteristics(e.g.,contact angle,width and height of tracks,and remelted depth)of the laser scanning tracks is presented here.Simulation conclusions indicate that the absorptivity of the powder layers considerably exceeds the single powder particle value or the dense solid material value.With an increase in particle size,the powder layer absorbs less laser energy.The maximum absorptivity of theWpowder layers reached 0.6030 at the particle size of 5 lm.The distribution of laser irradiance on the particle surface was sensitive to particle size,azimuthal angle,and the position of the powder particles on the substrate.The maximum irradiance in the powder layers decreased from 1.117×10^–3 to 0.85×10^–3W·μm^-2 and the contour of the irradiance distribution in the center of the irradiated area gradually contracted when the particle size increased from 5 to 45 lm.An experimental study on the surface morphologies and cross-sectional geometric characteristics of SLM-fabricated W material was performed,and the experimental results validated the mechanisms of the powder-to-laser-absorption behavior that were obtained in simulations.This work provides a scientific basis for the application of the ray-tracing model to predict the wetting and spreading ability of melted tracks during SLM additive manufacturing in order to yield a sound laser processability.

Effects of laser scanning strategies on selective laser melting of pure tungsten

Three types of scanning strategies,including the chessboard scanning strategy,the zigzag scanning strategy and the remelting scanning strategy,were conducted to study the effects of scanning strategies on surface morphology,microstructure,mechanical properties and the grain orientation of selective laser melted pure tungsten.The results showed that the pores and cracks were main defects in SLM-processed tungsten parts.The pores could be eliminated using the remelting scanning strategy.However,the cracks seemed to be inevitable regardless of the applied scanning strategies.The microstructures of SLM-processed tungsten were columnar grains and showed strong epitaxial growth along the building direction.A compressive strength of 923 MPa with an elongation of 7.7%was obtained when the zigzag scanning strategy was applied,which was the highest among the three scanning strategies.By changing the scanning strategies,the texture of SLM-processed tungsten in the direction of processing could be changed.

Thermodynamics of Molten Pool Predicted by Computational Fluid Dynamics in Selective Laser Melting of Ti6Al4V:Surface Morphology Evolution and Densification Behavior

The three-dimensional physical model of the randomly packed powder material irradiated by the laser beam was established,taking into account the transformation of the material phase,the melt spreading and the interaction of the free surface of the molten pool and the recoiling pressure caused by the material evaporation during the selective laser melting.Influence of the processing parameters on the thermal behavior,the material evaporation,the surface morphology and the densification behavior in the connection region of the molten pool and the substrate was studied.It was shown that the powder material underwent the transformation from the partial melting state to the complete melting state and finally to the overheating state with the applied laser energy density increasing from 167 J/mm^(3) to 417 J/mm^(3).Therefore,the solidified track ranged from the discontinuous tracks with the rough surface to the continuous tracks with residual porosities,then to the continuous and dense tracks and terminally to the fluctuated tracks with the increase in the laser energy density.Meanwhile,the laser energy effect depth was maintained the positive relationship with the laser energy density.The vortex velocity obtained in the free surface of the molten pool towards to the rear region in the opposite laser scan direction promoted the melt convection to the edge region of the molten pool as the laser energy density was higher than 277 J/mm^(3),demonstrating the efficient energy dissipation from the center of the irradiation region to the whole part of the molten pool and the attendant production of the sufficient melt volume.Therefore,the efficient spreading of the molten pool and the metallurgical bonding ability of the melt with the substrate was obtained at the optimized laser energy density of 277 J/mm^(3).However,the severe material evaporation would take place as the melt was overheated,resulting in the formation of the residual pores and poor surface quality.

Compressive mechanical properties and shape memory effect of NiTi gradient lattice structures fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

Laser additive manufacturing (AM) of lattice structures with light weight, excellent impact resistance, and energy absorption performance is receiving considerable attention in aerospace, transportation, and mechanical equipment application fields. In this study, we designed four gradient lattice structures (GLSs) using the topology optimization method, including the unidirectional GLS, the bi-directional increasing GLS, the bi-directional decreasing GLS and the none-GLS. All GLSs were manufactureed by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The uniaxial compression tests and finite element analysis were conducted to investigate the influence of gradient distribution features on deformation modes and energy absorption performance of GLSs. The results showed that, compared with the 45° shear fracture characteristic of the none-GLS, the unidirectional GLS, the bi-directional increasing GLS and the bi-directional decreasing GLS had the characteristics of the layer-by-layer fracture, showing considerably improved energy absorption capacity. The bi-directional increasing GLS showed a unique combination of shear fracture and layer-by-layer fracture, having the optimal energy absorption performance with energy absorption and specific energy absorption of 235.6 J and 9.5 J g-1 at 0.5 strain, respectively. Combined with the shape memory effect of NiTi alloy, multiple compression-heat recovery experiments were carried out to verify the shape memory function of LPBF-processed NiTi GLSs. These findings have potential value for the future design of GLSs and the realization of shape memory function of NiTi components through laser AM.

Electrically Actuated Shape Recovery of NiTi Components Processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion after Regulating the Dimensional Accuracy and Phase Transformation Behavior

To develop self-recovery intelligent components based on resistance heating and obtain satisfactory performance in practical applications,this study optimized the forming quality,dimensional accuracy,and phase transformation temperatures of Nickel-titanium(NiTi)alloys by controlling the process parameters.The tensile properties and shape-memory effects of the NiTi alloys prepared using the optimized process were clarified.The relationship between the change in temperature and the shape recovery process of the deformed structure under electrical excitation was investigated.The results show that the suitable processing window for ensuring the forming quality without noticeable distortion and macro cracks depends on the laser parameters.In both the X and Y directions,the measured dimensions increased with an increase in laser power and first decreased and then stabilized with an increase in scanning speed.The XRD results showed that all the as-built samples consisted of B2 austenite and B19’martensite phases and Ni3Ti.Mechanical tests suggested that excellent tensile properties with a tensile strength of 753.28 MPa and elongation of 6.81%could be obtained under the optimal parameters of 250 W and 1200 mm/s.An excellent shape-recovery rate of 88.23%was achieved under the optimal parameters.Subsequently,chiral lattice structures were successfully fabricated by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)under the optimal parameters,and a shape-recovery rate of 96.7%was achieved under electrical actuation for a structure with a pre-compressed strain of 20%.This study also found that the temperatures at the grasp regions were always higher than those at other positions because of the generation of contact resistance at the grasp regions.This facilitates the rapid recovery of the structure at the grasp regions,which has important implications for the design iteration of NiTi smart components.

Anisotropic corrosion resistance of TiC reinforced Ni-based composites fabricated by selective laser melting

Electrochemical measurements on three planes of TiC/Inconel 718 composites fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM) were performed to study the corrosion property. The results showed that the YZplane with dense and fine columnar structures possessed high microhardness and superior corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. For the XZ-plane, a decreased anti-corrosion property was observed owing to its inhomogeneous microstructures. While the XY-plane with large irregular pores and clustered ring-like structures was more susceptible to corrosion compared with the other two planes. Comparative analysis suggested that the anisotropic corrosion behaviors were significantly dependent on the surface defects, microstructure characteristics and added reinforcements.

A Direct Toolpath Constructive Design Method for Controllable Porous Structure Configuration with a TSP-based Sequence Planning Determination

The inherent capabilities of additive manufacturing(AM)to fabricate porous lattice structures with controllable structural and functional properties have raised interest in the design methods for the production of extremely in-tricate internal geometries.Current popular methods of porous lattice structure design still follow the traditional flow,which mainly consists of computer-aided design(CAD)model construction,STereoLithography(STL)model conversion,slicing model acquisition,and toolpath configuration,which causes a loss of accuracy and manufac-turability uncertainty in AM preparation stages.Moreover,toolpath configuration relies on a knowledge-based approach summarized by expert systems.In this process,geometrical construction information is always ignored when a CAD model is created or constructed.To fully use this geometrical information,avoid accuracy loss and ensure qualified manufacturability of porous lattice structures,this paper proposes a novel toolpath-based con-structive design method to directly generate toolpath printing file of parametric and controllable porous lattice structures to facilitate model data exchange during the AM preparation stages.To optimize the laser jumping route between lattice cells,we use a hybrid travelling salesman problem(TSP)solver to determine the laser jumping points on contour scans.Four kinds of laser jumping orders are calculated and compared to select a minimal laser jumping route for sequence planning inside lattice cells.Hence,the proposed method can achieve high-precision lattice printing and avoid computational consumption in model conversion stages from a geomet-rical view.The optical metallographic images show that the shape accuracy of lattice patterns can be guaranteed.The existence of“grain boundaries”brought about by the multi-contour scanning strategy may lead to different mechanical properties.

选区激光熔化铝合金基底表面形貌对轨道润湿行为的影响（英文）

目的:研究选区激光熔化(SLM)过程中形貌差异较大的块体表面单道成形工艺性,分析单道的润湿行为,为进一步揭示SLM加工过程中熔化轨迹的凝固行为提供理论基础。创新点:1.系统研究在不同加工参数下形成的不同表面形貌的块体上加工同一参数的单道;2.基于熔体流动理论,分析在SLM加工过程中已加工层存在的大量的热积累以及粗糙的成形表面对单道的润湿行为的影响。方法:1.对在不同形貌的块体上形成的单道进行分析,将单道形貌分为4种典型类型(图4)。2.通过分析单道横截面的几何尺寸(图5和6),研究表面形貌对单道成形工艺性的影响。3.基于Wenzel方程(公式(3))分析熔体在粗糙表面的润湿行为并基于Navier-Stokes方程(公式(12))和Marangoni方程(公式(13))分析熔体流动行为。结论:1.块体表面光滑、平整时,粉末在表面铺展均匀、熔化充分、润湿性好,有利于形成连续、规则的单道。2.单道附近的块体表面存在较大孔隙时,孔隙中会积累一定量的粉末。熔融金属的重力和表面张力共同驱使液体向孔隙流动,单道出现扩展效应:润湿角明显减小,熔池宽度和深度增加。3.块体表面球化颗粒及飞溅物增多时,表面凹凸不平,单道处熔化的粉末量减少,对基板的润湿性较差,熔池不稳定,导致单道出现颈缩。4.块体表面存在大量球化颗粒和飞溅物时,单道附近团聚的铝合金球化颗粒极易被氧化,氧化膜使得颗粒表面光滑,从而难以被熔融金属润湿。此外,熔融金属的较大的温度梯度对熔体流动方向也有显著影响,易诱导单道出现球化效应。