scholarly journals Short Heat Treatments for the F357 Aluminum Alloy Processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6157
Author(s):  
Matteo Vanzetti ◽  
Enrico Virgillito ◽  
Alberta Aversa ◽  
Diego Manfredi ◽  
Federica Bondioli ◽  
...  

Conventionally processed precipitation hardening aluminum alloys are generally treated with T6 heat treatments which are time-consuming and generally optimized for conventionally processed microstructures. Alternatively, parts produced by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) are characterized by unique microstructures made of very fine and metastable phases. These peculiar features require specifically optimized heat treatments. This work evaluates the effects of a short T6 heat treatment on L-PBF AlSi7Mg samples. The samples underwent a solution step of 15 min at 540 °C followed by water quenching and subsequently by an artificial aging at 170 °C for 2–8 h. The heat treated samples were characterized from a microstructural and mechanical point of view and compared with both as-built and direct aging (DA) treated samples. The results show that a 15 min solution treatment at 540 °C allows the dissolution of the very fine phases obtained during the L-PBF process; the subsequent heat treatment at 170 °C for 6 h makes it possible to obtain slightly lower tensile properties compared to those of the standard T6. With respect to the DA samples, higher elongation was achieved. These results show that this heat treatment can be of great benefit for the industry.

Metals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 144
Author(s):  
Eslam M. Fayed ◽  
Mohammad Saadati ◽  
Davood Shahriari ◽  
Vladimir Brailovski ◽  
Mohammad Jahazi ◽  
...  

In the present study, multi-objective optimization is employed to develop the optimum heat treatments that can achieve both high-mechanical performance and non-distinctive crystallographic texture of 3D printed Inconel 718 (IN718) fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Heat treatments including homogenization at different soaking times (2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 h) at 1080 °C, followed by a 1 h solution treatment at 980 °C and the standard aging have been employed. 2.5 h is found to be the homogenization treatment threshold after which there is a depletion of hardening precipitate constituents (Nb and Ti) from the γ-matrix. However, a significant number of columnar grains with a high fraction (37.8%) of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) have still been retained after the 2.5 h homogenization treatment. After a 4 h homogenization treatment, a fully recrystallized IN718 with a high fraction of annealing twins (87.1%) is obtained. 2.5 and 4 h homogenization treatments result in tensile properties exceeding those of the wrought IN718 at both RT and 650 °C. However, considering the texture requirements, it is found that the 4 h homogenization treatment offers the optimum treatment, which can be used to produce IN718 components offering a balanced combination of high mechanical properties and adequate microstructural isotropy.


Author(s):  
Lavinia Tonelli ◽  
Erica Liverani ◽  
Alessandro Morri ◽  
Lorella Ceschini

AbstractApplying additive manufacturing (AM) technologies to the fabrication of aluminum automotive components, with an optimized design, may result in improved vehicle light weighting. However, the post-process heat treatment of such alloys has to be customized for the particular AM microstructure. The present study is aimed at investigating the effect of different heat treatments on the microstructure, hardness and residual stress of the A357 (AlSi7Mg0.6) heat-treatable alloy produced by laser-based powder bed fusion (LPBF, also known as selective laser melting). There are two major issues to be addressed: (1) relieving the internal residual stress resulting from the process and (2) strengthening the alloy with a customized heat treatment. Therefore, stress-relief annealing treatment, direct aging of the as-built alloy and a redesigned T6 treatment (consisting of a shortened high-temperature solution treatment followed by artificial aging) were examined. Comparable hardness values were reached in the LPBF alloy with optimized direct aging and T6 treatments, but complete relief of the residual stress was obtained only with T6. Microstructural analyses also suggested that, because of the supersaturated solid solution, different phenomena were involved in direct aging and T6 treatment.


Metals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Barros ◽  
Francisco J. G. Silva ◽  
Ronny M. Gouveia ◽  
Abdollah Saboori ◽  
Giulio Marchese ◽  
...  

Residual stresses (RS) of great magnitude are usually present in parts produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), mainly owing to the extreme temperature gradients and high cooling rates involved in the process. Those “hidden” stresses can be detrimental to a part’s mechanical properties and fatigue life; therefore, it is crucial to know their magnitude and orientation. The hole-drilling strain-gage method was used to determine the RS magnitude and direction-depth profiles. Cuboid specimens in the as-built state, and after standard solution annealing and ageing heat treatment conditions, were prepared to study the RS evolution throughout the heat treatment stages. Measurements were performed on the top and lateral surfaces. In the as-built specimens, tensile stresses of ~400 MPa on the top and above 600 MPa on the lateral surface were obtained. On the lateral surface, RS anisotropy was noticed, with the horizontally aligned stresses being three times lower than the vertically aligned. RS decreased markedly after the first heat treatment. On heat-treated specimens, magnitude oscillations were observed. By microstructure analysis, the presence of carbides was verified, which is a probable root for the oscillations. Furthermore, compressive stresses immediate to the surface were obtained in heat-treated specimens, which is not in agreement with the typical characteristics of parts fabricated by PBF-LB, i.e., tensile stresses at the surface and compressive stresses in the part’s core.


Technologies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Stephan Hafenstein ◽  
Leonhard Hitzler ◽  
Enes Sert ◽  
Andreas Öchsner ◽  
Markus Merkel ◽  
...  

Hot isostatic pressing can be utilized to reduce the anisotropic mechanical properties of Al–Si–Mg alloys fabricated by laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF). The implementation of post processing densification processes can open up new fields of application by meeting high quality requirements defined by aircraft and automotive industries. A gas pressure of 75 MPa during hot isostatic pressing lowers the critical cooling rate required to achieve a supersaturated solid solution. Direct aging uses this pressure related effect during heat treatment in modern hot isostatic presses, which offer advanced cooling capabilities, thereby avoiding the necessity of a separate solution annealing step for Al–Si–Mg cast alloys. Hot isostatic pressing, followed by rapid quenching, was applied to both sand cast as well as laser powder-bed fused Al–Si–Mg aluminum alloys. It was shown that the critical cooling rate required to achieve a supersaturated solid solution is significantly higher for additively manufactured, age-hardenable aluminum alloys than it is for comparable sand cast material. The application of hot isostatic pressing can be combined with heat treatment, consisting of solution annealing, quenching and direct aging, in order to achieve both a dense material with a small number of preferred locations for the initiation of fatigue cracks and a high material strength.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Cabrini ◽  
Sergio Lorenzi ◽  
Cristian Testa ◽  
Fabio Brevi ◽  
Sara Biamino ◽  
...  

The effect of microstructure on the susceptibility to selective corrosion of Alloy 625 produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process was investigated through intergranular corrosion tests according to ASTM G28 standard. The effect of heat treatment on selective corrosion susceptibility was also evaluated. The behavior was compared to commercial hot-worked, heat treated Grade 1 Alloy 625. The morphology of attack after boiling ferric sulfate-sulfuric acid test according to ASTM G28 standard is less penetrating for LPBF 625 alloy compared to hot-worked and heat-treated alloy both in as-built condition and after heat treatment. The different attack morphology can be ascribed to the oversaturation of the alloying elements in the nickel austenitic matrix obtained due to the very high cooling rate. On as-built specimens, a shallow selective attack of the border of the melt pools was observed, which disappeared after the heat treatment. The results confirmed similar intergranular corrosion susceptibility, but different corrosion morphologies were detected. The results are discussed in relation to the unique microstructures of LPBF manufactured alloys.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Van Cauwenbergh ◽  
V. Samaee ◽  
L. Thijs ◽  
J. Nejezchlebová ◽  
P. Sedlák ◽  
...  

AbstractTailoring heat treatments for Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) processed materials is critical to ensure superior and repeatable material properties for high-end applications. This tailoring requires in-depth understanding of the LPBF-processed material. Therefore, the current study aims at unravelling the threefold interrelationship between the process (LPBF and heat treatment), the microstructure at different scales (macro-, meso-, micro-, and nano-scale), and the macroscopic material properties of AlSi10Mg. A similar solidification trajectory applies at different length scales when comparing the solidification of AlSi10Mg, ranging from mould-casting to rapid solidification (LPBF). The similarity in solidification trajectories triggers the reason why the Brody-Flemings cellular microsegregation solidification model could predict the cellular morphology of the LPBF as-printed microstructure. Where rapid solidification occurs at a much finer scale, the LPBF microstructure exhibits a significant grain refinement and a high degree of silicon (Si) supersaturation. This study has identified the grain refinement and Si supersaturation as critical assets of the as-printed microstructure, playing a vital role in achieving superior mechanical and thermal properties during heat treatment. Next, an electrical conductivity model could accurately predict the Si solute concentration in LPBF-processed and heat-treated AlSi10Mg and allows understanding the microstructural evolution during heat treatment. The LPBF-processed and heat-treated AlSi10Mg conditions (as-built (AB), direct-aged (DA), stress-relieved (SR), preheated (PH)) show an interesting range of superior mechanical properties (tensile strength: 300–450 MPa, elongation: 4–13%) compared to the mould-cast T6 reference condition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eslam M. Fayed ◽  
Mohammad Saadati ◽  
Davood Shahriari ◽  
Vladimir Brailovski ◽  
Mohammad Jahazi ◽  
...  

AbstractIn the present study, the effect of homogenization and solution treatment times on the elevated-temperature (650 °C) mechanical properties and the fracture mechanisms of Inconel 718 (IN718) superalloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was investigated. Homogenization times between 1 and 7 h at 1080 °C were used, while solution treatments at 980 °C were performed in the range from 15 to 60 min. The as-printed condition showed the lowest strength but the highest elongation to failure at 650 °C, compared to the heat-treated conditions. After heat treatments, the strength of the IN718 alloy increased by 20.3–31% in relation to the as-printed condition, depending on the treatment time, whereas the ductility decreased significantly, by 67.4–80%. Among the heat treatment conditions, the 1 h homogenized conditions at 1080 °C (HSA1 and HSA2) exhibited the highest strength and ductility due to the combined effects of the precipitation hardening and sub-structural changes. Further increases in the homogenization time to 4 and 7 h led to a decrease in the strength and significant ductility loss of the LPBF IN718 due to the considerable annihilation of the dislocation tangles and a greater precipitation of coarse MC carbide particles. Furthermore, it was found that the solution treatment duration had a crucial influence on the mechanical properties at 650 °C due to the increase in the grain boundary strength through the pinning effect of the intergranular δ-phase. In addition, the fracture mechanism of the LPBF IN718 was found to be dependent on the heat treatment time. Finally, this investigation provides a map that summarizes the effect of homogenization and solution treatment times on the high-temperature mechanical behavior of LPBF IN718 by relating it to the corresponding microstructural evolution. This effort strives to assist in tailoring the mechanical properties of LPBF IN718 based on the design requirements for some specific applications.


Metals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Felix Clemens Ewald ◽  
Florian Brenne ◽  
Tobias Gustmann ◽  
Malte Vollmer ◽  
Philipp Krooß ◽  
...  

In order to overcome constraints related to crack formation during additive processing (laser powder bed fusion, L-BPF) of Fe-Mn-Al-Ni, the potential of high-temperature L-PBF processing was investigated in the present study. The effect of the process parameters on crack formation, grain structure, and phase distribution in the as-built condition, as well as in the course of cyclic heat treatment was examined by microstructural analysis. Optimized processing parameters were applied to fabricate cylindrical samples featuring a crack-free and columnar grained microstructure. In the course of cyclic heat treatment, abnormal grain growth (AGG) sets in, eventually promoting the evolution of a bamboo like microstructure. Testing under tensile load revealed a well-defined stress plateau and reversible strains of up to 4%.


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