Abstract
In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) has gained prominence in rapid prototyping and production of structural components with complex geometries. Magnesium alloys, whose strength-to-weight ratio is superior compared to steel and aluminum alloys, have shown potential in lightweighting applications. However, commercial beam-based AM technologies have limited success with magnesium alloys due to vaporization and hot cracking. Therefore, as an alternative approach, we propose the use of a near net-shape solid-state additive manufacturing process, Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD), to fabricate magnesium alloys in bulk. In this study, a parametric investigation was performed to quantify the effect of process parameters on AFSD build quality including volumetric defects and surface quality in magnesium alloy AZ31B. In order to understand the effect of the AFSD process on structural integrity in the magnesium alloy AZ31B, in-depth microstructure and mechanical property characterization was conducted on a bulk AFSD build fabricated with a set of acceptable process parameters. Results of the microstructure analysis of the as-deposited AFSD build revealed bulk microstructure similar to wrought magnesium alloy AZ31 plate. Additionally, similar hardness measurements were found in AFSD build compared to control wrought specimens. While tensile test results of the as-deposited AFSD build exhibited a 20 percent drop in yield strength, nearly identical ultimate strength was observed compared to the wrought control. The experimental results of this study illustrate the potential of using the AFSD process to additively manufacture Mg alloys for load bearing structural components with achieving wrought-like microstructure and mechanical properties.
Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ80M magnesium alloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing
