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Grain Refinement, Strengthening, and Deformation Mechanisms in Additively Manufactured Alloys

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 2647

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: additive manufacturing; microstructural analysis; deformation behavior; heat treatment; grain refinement
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a revolutionary manufacturing technique that enables the production of complex geometries and customized components with exceptional precision. In recent years, the application of AM in the production of metallic alloys has gained significant attention across various industries, including the aerospace, automotive, and biomedical. However, to fully harness the potential of additively manufactured alloys, it is crucial to understand and optimize the microstructural characteristics that directly influence their mechanical properties and performance.

Scope and Objectives:

This Special Issue of the Journal of Materials aims to explore the fundamental aspects of grain refinement, the strengthening mechanisms, and deformation behavior of additively manufactured alloys. The aim is to gather cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges and advances in the understanding of microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and performance of these materials. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspective papers that encompass a wide range of topics related to the following:

Microstructural characterization of additively manufactured alloys:

  • Grain refinement mechanisms during the additive manufacturing process.
  • Effect of processing parameters on microstructural evolution.
  • Role of alloy composition and elemental segregation on microstructure.

Strengthening mechanisms in additively manufactured alloys:

  • Precipitation hardening and strengthening in alloy systems.
  • Grain boundary strengthening and nanoscale reinforcement.
  • Influence of heat treatment and post-processing.

Deformation behavior and mechanical properties of additively manufactured alloys:

  • Tensile, fatigue, and creep behavior of AM alloys.
  • Microstructural effects on mechanical properties and performance.
  • Modeling and simulation of deformation mechanisms.

Advanced characterization techniques and in-situ observations:

  • In situ microscopy and diffraction techniques for real-time observations.
  • Advanced characterization methods for microstructural analysis.
  • Correlation between microstructure and mechanical behavior.

Design optimization and practical applications:

  • Design strategies for enhanced mechanical properties in AM alloys.
  • Performance evaluation of additively manufactured components.
  • Case studies demonstrating the practical applications of AM alloys.

Dr. Przemysław Snopiński
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • additive manufacturing
  • grain refinement
  • strengthening mechanisms
  • deformation behavior
  • microstructural characterization
  • processing parameters
  • alloy composition
  • elemental segregation
  • precipitation hardening
  • grain boundary strengthening
  • nanoscale reinforcement

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 13393 KiB  
Article
Heat Treatments for Minimization of Residual Stresses and Maximization of Tensile Strengths of Scalmalloy® Processed via Directed Energy Deposition
by Rachel Boillat-Newport, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Jonathan Kelley and Frank Liou
Materials 2024, 17(6), 1333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17061333 - 14 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1336
Abstract
Scalmalloy® is an Al-Mg-Sc-Zr-based alloy specifically developed for additive manufacturing (AM). This alloy is designed for use with a direct aging treatment, as recommended by the manufacturer, rather than with a multistep treatment, as often seen in conventional manufacturing. Most work with [...] Read more.
Scalmalloy® is an Al-Mg-Sc-Zr-based alloy specifically developed for additive manufacturing (AM). This alloy is designed for use with a direct aging treatment, as recommended by the manufacturer, rather than with a multistep treatment, as often seen in conventional manufacturing. Most work with Scalmalloy® is conducted using powder bed rather than powder-fed processes. This investigation seeks to fill this knowledge gap and expand beyond single-step aging to promote an overall balanced AM-fabricated component. For this study, directed energy deposition (DED)-fabricated Scalmalloy® components were subjected to low-temperature treatments to minimize residual stresses inherent in the material due to the layer-by-layer build process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated the possibility of stress minimization while reducing the detriment to mechanical strength through lower temperature treatments. Microstructural analyses consisting of energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed the presence of grain growth detrimentally affecting the strength and elongation made possible by very small grains inherent to AM and rapid solidification. Tensile testing determined that treatment at 175 °C for 1 h provides the best relief from the existing residual stresses; however, this is accompanied by a diminishment in the yield and tensile strength of 19 and 9.5%, respectively. It is noted that treatment at 175 °C for 2 h did not provide as great of a decrease in residual stresses, theorized to be the result of grain growth and other strengthening mechanisms further stressing the structure; however, the residual stresses are still significantly diminished compared with the as-built condition. Furthermore, a minimal reduction of the tensile strengths indicates the possibility of finding a balance between property diminishment and stress state through the work proposed here. Full article
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19 pages, 11932 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Effects of Various Severe Plastic Deformation Techniques on the Microstructure of Laser Powder Bed Fusion AlSi10Mg Alloy
by Przemysław Snopiński, Krzysztof Matus and Ondřej Hilšer
Materials 2023, 16(23), 7418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16237418 - 29 Nov 2023
Viewed by 943
Abstract
In this paper, we present a complete characterization of the microstructural changes that occur in an LPBF AlSi10Mg alloy subjected to various post-processing methods, including equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP), KoBo extrusion, and multi-axial forging. Kikuchi transmission diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used [...] Read more.
In this paper, we present a complete characterization of the microstructural changes that occur in an LPBF AlSi10Mg alloy subjected to various post-processing methods, including equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP), KoBo extrusion, and multi-axial forging. Kikuchi transmission diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the microstructures. Our findings revealed that multi-axis forging produced an extremely fine subgrain structure. KoBo extrusion resulted in a practically dislocation-free microstructure. ECAP processing at temperatures between 100 °C and 200 °C generated moderate grain refinement, with subgrain diameters averaging from 300 nm to 700 nm. The obtained data highlighted the potential of severe plastic deformation as a versatile method for tailoring the microstructure of the AlSi10Mg alloy. The ability to precisely control grain size and dislocation density using specific SPD methods allows for the development of novel materials with ultrafine-grained microstructures that offer the potential for enhanced mechanical and functional properties. Full article
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