Miniature laser powder bed fusion system for in situ synchrotron x-ray micro-computed tomography experiments at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

Abstract

We describe our miniature laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) system for in situ synchrotron x-ray micro-computed tomography (XCT) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. This replicator was designed to extend the characterization of L-PBF to 3D. This instrument fills in a technical gap because the existing replicators were mostly designed to shed light on the dynamic mechanisms involved in molten pool formation but, therefore, suffered from a lack of 3D information. Technical details regarding the setup and beamline integration are given. Experimental validations via post-mortem XCT scans and in situ scans acquired during experiments conducted at the BM05 beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility are provided. Based on a few illustrative examples, we show that such a replicator opens the path to collect key 3D information that to date could not be available. Our miniature instrument complements the other replicators developed in the world by other research groups that enable operando x-ray imaging (radiography) and operando x-ray diffraction.