Abstract
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) produces significantly different microstructures compared with those produced by conventional manufacturing. The heat treatments of conventional manufacturing may not be suitable for the parts produced by LPBF. This study systematically investigated the effect of heat treatment on mechanical behavior and microstructure evolution of Al-Cu-Mg alloy fabricated by LPBF. The specimen with the optimal solid solution treatment had dislocation strengthening and solid solution strengthening effects, and thus had higher yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and elongation than the as-fabricated specimen. High-density acicular ultrafine Al2CuMg phase and some coarse granular Al6Mn phase were observed in the matrix after the post artificial aging. The Al2CuMg precipitation further improved the YS, but the Al6Mn precipitation decreased the UTS and plasticity. As such, by selecting the appropriate heat treatment conditions, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the LPBF Al-Cu-Mg specimens can be comprehensively tailored according to specific user requirements in the application.
Published Version
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