Hybrid interlayer hot rolling and wire arc additive manufacturing of Al-Mg alloy: Microstructure, mechanical properties and strengthening mechanism

Abstract

Considering the deformation-strengthening benefits of Al-Mg alloy and the high forming efficiency offered by wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), the microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism of hybrid interlayer hot rolling and wire arc additive manufacturing (HR-WAAM) samples have been systematically investigated in this study. The results indicate that interlayer hot rolling can effectively reduce the size and number of pores, which diminishes the stress concentration areas. Additionally, rolling deformation significantly enhances the effect of dislocation strengthening. Furthermore, a high density of dislocations can promote recrystallization to refine grain size, while also improving grain orientation, all of which contribute to better stress distribution. Due to these reasons, the strength and toughness of the alloy are notably improved. The average ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and elongation (EL) values achieved by HR-WAAM samples were 338 MPa, 276 MPa, and 20.9%, respectively. These values represent increases of 28.5%, 41.5%, and 38.4% compared to conventional WAAM samples. These findings are expected to provide an efficient and cost-effective method for additive manufacturing (AM) of deformation-strengthened aluminum alloys.