scholarly journals An Enhanced Understanding of the Powder Bed Fusion–Laser Beam Processing of Mg-Y3.9 wt%-Nd3 wt%-Zr0.5 wt% (WE43) Alloy through Thermodynamic Modeling and Experimental Characterization

Materials ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 417
Author(s):  
Hanna Nilsson Åhman ◽  
Lena Thorsson ◽  
Pelle Mellin ◽  
Greta Lindwall ◽  
Cecilia Persson

Powder Bed Fusion–Laser Beam (PBF–LB) processing of magnesium (Mg) alloys is gaining increasing attention due to the possibility of producing complex biodegradable implants for improved healing of large bone defects. However, the understanding of the correlation between the PBF–LB process parameters and the microstructure formed in Mg alloys remains limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to enhance the understanding of the effect of the PBF–LB process parameters on the microstructure of Mg alloys by investigating the applicability of computational thermodynamic modelling and verifying the results experimentally. Thus, PBF–LB process parameters were optimized for a Mg WE43 alloy (Mg-Y3.9 wt%-Nd3 wt%-Zr0.5 wt%) on a commercially available machine. Two sets of process parameters successfully produced sample densities > 99.4%. Thermodynamic computations based on the Calphad method were employed to predict the phases present in the processed material. Phases experimentally established for both processing parameters included α-Mg, Y2O3, Mg3Nd, Mg24Y5 and hcp-Zr. Phases α-Mg, Mg24Y5 and hcp-Zr were also predicted by the calculations. In conclusion, the extent of the applicability of thermodynamic modeling was shown, and the understanding of the correlation between the PBF–LB process parameters and the formed microstructure was enhanced, thus increasing the viability of the PBF–LB process for Mg alloys.

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 4879
Author(s):  
Mireia Vilanova ◽  
Rubén Escribano-García ◽  
Teresa Guraya ◽  
Maria San Sebastian

A method to find the optimum process parameters for manufacturing nickel-based superalloy Inconel 738LC by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology is presented. This material is known to form cracks during its processing by LPBF technology; thus, process parameters have to be optimized to get a high quality product. In this work, the objective of the optimization was to obtain samples with fewer pores and cracks. A design of experiments (DoE) technique was implemented to define the reduced set of samples. Each sample was manufactured by LPBF with a specific combination of laser power, laser scan speed, hatch distance and scan strategy parameters. Using the porosity and crack density results obtained from the DoE samples, quadratic models were fitted, which allowed identifying the optimal working point by applying the response surface method (RSM). Finally, five samples with the predicted optimal processing parameters were fabricated. The examination of these samples showed that it was possible to manufacture IN738LC samples free of cracks and with a porosity percentage below 0.1%. Therefore, it was demonstrated that RSM is suitable for obtaining optimum process parameters for IN738LC alloy manufacturing by LPBF technology.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizia Caiazzo ◽  
Vittorio Alfieri ◽  
Giuseppe Casalino

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) can fabricate products with tailored mechanical and surface properties. In fact, surface texture, roughness, pore size, the resulting fractional density, and microhardness highly depend on the processing conditions, which are very difficult to deal with. Therefore, this paper aims at investigating the relevance of the volumetric energy density (VED) that is a concise index of some governing factors with a potential operational use. This paper proves the fact that the observed experimental variation in the surface roughness, number and size of pores, the fractional density, and Vickers hardness can be explained in terms of VED that can help the investigator in dealing with several process parameters at once.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 796
Author(s):  
Aya Takase ◽  
Takuya Ishimoto ◽  
Naotaka Morita ◽  
Naoko Ikeo ◽  
Takayoshi Nakano

Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) techniques have been studied for applications ranging from medicine to aviation. The fabrication technique is often selected based on the part size and fabrication speed, while less attention is paid to the differences in the physicochemical properties. Especially, the relationship between the evolution of α, α’, and β phases in as-grown parts and the fabrication techniques is unclear. This work systematically and quantitatively investigates how L-PBF and EB-PBF and their process parameters affect the phase evolution of Ti-6Al-4V and residual stresses in the final parts. This is the first report demonstrating the correlations among measured parameters, indicating the lattice strain reduces, and c/a increases, shifting from an α’ to α+β or α structure as the crystallite size of the α or α’ phase increases. The experimental results combined with heat-transfer simulation indicate the cooling rate near the β transus temperature dictates the resulting phase characteristics, whereas the residual stress depends on the cooling rate immediately below the solidification temperature. This study provides new insights into the previously unknown differences in the α, α’, and β phase evolution between L-PBF and EB-PBF and their process parameters.


Metals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 896
Author(s):  
Matthias Schmitt ◽  
Albin Gottwalt ◽  
Jakob Winkler ◽  
Thomas Tobie ◽  
Georg Schlick ◽  
...  

The carbon content of steel affects many of its essential properties, e.g., hardness and mechanical strength. In the powder bed fusion process of metals using a laser beam (PBF-LB/M), usually, pre-alloyed metal powder is solidified layer-by-layer using a laser beam to create parts. A reduction of the carbon content in steels is observed during this process. This study examines adding carbon particles to the metal powder and in situ alloying in the PBF-LB/M process as a countermeasure. Suitable carbon particles are selected and their effect on the particle size distribution and homogeneity of the mixtures is analysed. The workability in PBF-LB is then shown. This is followed by an evaluation of the resulting mechanical properties (hardness and mechanical strength) and microstructure in the as-built state and the state after heat treatment. Furthermore, potential use cases like multi-material or functionally graded parts are discussed.


Author(s):  
Rafael de Moura Nobre ◽  
Willy Ank de Morais ◽  
Matheus Tavares Vasques ◽  
Jhoan Guzmán ◽  
Daniel Luiz Rodrigues Junior ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Arash Soltani-Tehrani ◽  
Rakish Shrestha ◽  
Nam Phan ◽  
Mohsen Seifi ◽  
Nima Shamsaei

Metals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Mooney ◽  
Kyriakos Kourousis

Maraging steel is an engineering alloy which has been widely employed in metal additive manufacturing. This paper examines manufacturing and post-processing factors affecting the properties of maraging steel fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). It covers the review of published research findings on how powder quality feedstock, processing parameters, laser scan strategy, build orientation and heat treatment can influence the microstructure, density and porosity, defects and residual stresses developed on L-PBF maraging steel, with a focus on the maraging steel 300 alloy. This review offers an evaluation of the resulting mechanical properties of the as-built and heat-treated maraging steel 300, with a focus on anisotropic characteristics. Possible directions for further research are also identified.


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