Analysis of hierarchical microstructural evolution in electron beam powder bed fusion Ti–6Al–4V alloys via time-of-flight neutron diffraction

Abstract

Ti–6Al–4V alloys prepared via electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) generally exhibit a hierarchical microstructure consisting of columnar β-grains, an acicular α-matrix, and nanoscale β-precipitates at α-lath interfaces. In this study, we performed time-of-flight neutron diffraction measurements to investigate the texture and volume fraction of EB-PBF Ti–6Al–4V alloys via Rietveld texture analysis (RTA). The high-intensity neutron source enabled the analysis of the nanosized β-phase precipitates at the α-lath interfaces. The results indicate that the α- and β-textures of the as-built specimen can be ascribed to multiple Burgers orientation relationships among the prior β-phase, α-laths, and nanosized β-phase precipitates, which are not clearly understood. The as-built texture was maintained during post-processing, suggesting that texture manipulation in EB-PBF fabrication is important for controlling the crystallographic orientations of the built components, even after post-processing. RTA allowed a precise quantification of the β-phase fraction, which was found to have increased in post-processed specimens. The results would contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the microstructural evolution of such alloys, which is vital for the modeling and optimization of alloy performance.