Microstructural evolution along the build height of laser melting deposited TA15 alloy

This study emphasizes the TA15 alloy microstructural distribution fabricated by the laser melting deposition (LMD) technique. The motivation of the study is to analyze the microstructural features, such as grain or laths thickness, phase fraction, and porosity occurrence in the different regions along the build height, due to the complex thermal-solidification history during the laser melting deposition. During laser deposition of titanium alloy, the laser beam forms a melt pool, where the near-α and α+β alloys transform into a single β-phase, followed by rapid solidification. This process is repeated when a successive layer is deposited, where the previously deposited layers are re-melted. These thermal cycles can affect the parent microstructure in the previously deposited layers. It was identified from the results that the width of α-laths was larger in the regions near the top of the build component. In comparison, the bottom region near to substrate contained fine laths due to a steep thermal gradient and repeated thermal effect. The volume fraction of β-phase was higher in the bottom region, which could be regarded as the transformed β matrix due to the successive thermal effect in the α+β field. The results also showed shallow porosity existence in the top and near to top regions. According to the morphology and size, the formation of these pores can be attributed to the gas entrapment during the deposition process.