Duplex Microstructure Research Articles

Microstructural evaluation and corrosion behaviour of Inconel 82 and Inconel 625 overlays on 304L stainless steel weld used in nuclear fuel reprocessing plant

Weld overlays are considered the most cost-effective surface modification technique to mitigate corrosion in the nuclear industry. Considering this, an attempt to overlay the 304L weld metal at some critical weld locations of the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant with Inconel alloy was initiated. The work focuses on the microstructural evaluation and corrosion behaviour of Inconel 82 and Inconel 625 weld overlays on 304L stainless steel (SS) weld metal in a nitric acid and chloride medium. Scanning electron micrographs of the 304L SS weld metal revealed a duplex microstructure containing δ-ferrite as a minor phase in the austenite matrix. The microstructure of the Inconel 82 and Inconel 625 weld overlays was found to be fully austenitic, with Nb-rich laves phases at the inter-dendritic region. The hardness of the Inconel weld overlays was found to be higher than that of the 304L SS weld metal. X-ray diffraction measurements showed austenite and δ-ferrite in the 304L SS weld metal and a single austenite phase in the Inconel weld overlays. Potentiodynamic anodic polarization experiments carried out in 4M and 8M nitric acid indicated superior passive film stability in the Inconel weld overlays when compared to the 304L SS weld metal. Comparatively, Inconel 625 weld overlay was found to be much superior to Inconel 82 weld overlay in nitric acid medium. The 304L SS weld metal exhibited inferior pitting resistance in chloride medium by virtue of the high δ-ferrite present in the weld fusion zone. The pitting resistance of the Inconel 82 weld overlay marginally improved, while a substantial enhancement occurred in the Inconel 625 weld overlay.

Effect of laser defocusing on duplex stainless steels for higher scan speeds in Laser-Based Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M)

Duplex stainless steels (DSS) employ a bi-modal microstructure consisting of equal parts ferrite and austenite. However, when processed via laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) the high cooling rates lead to a dominantly ferritic microstructure, thus making a post-process heat treatment necessary. This sparks the interest in accelerating the manufacturing time by increasing scan speeds. Defocusing of the laser beam offers the possibility to alter the melt pool morphology and thereby the melting mode. Therefore, this study presents the influence of the defocusing distance for PBF-LB/M manufactured DSS parts. The melt pool becomes shallower and wider as the defocus distance increases, but also has a more uniform shape at high scan speeds compared to the focused beam. Furthermore, defocusing of the laser beam results in denser parts at scan speeds of up to 1800 mm/s, potentially facilitating higher build rates. The duplex microstructure could be restored by a post process heat-treatment.

Impact of process parameters and gas atmospheres on density and microstructure of super duplex stainless steel produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Super duplex stainless steel (2507 SDSS) is an alloy renowned for its excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. This unique combination arises from a duplex microstructure characterized by austenite and ferrite. However, when processed using the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process, this steel contains only the ferritic phase due to the rapid cooling rates inherent in LPBF, which suppresses the formation of the austenitic phase. This study explores a parameter process optimization for this steel in two different atmospheres, Ar and N, with the latter being an austenite-stabilizing element intended to enhance the formation of the austenitic phase. A comparison of the optimal process windows between the two atmospheres is conducted, and the amount of austenitic content is evaluated as a function of the process parameters and the shielding gas employed. Findings demonstrate that utilizing a nitrogen atmosphere, in conjunction with process parameters that reduce normalized enthalpy and material evaporation, increases austenite content post-manufacture. Additionally, nitrogen as the processing gas effectively minimizes and stabilizes nitrogen content within the samples.

Tensile properties and fracture behaviors of electron-beam welded Ti6242 titanium alloy joints

The microstructure, tensile properties and fracture behaviors of electron-beam welded Ti6242 titanium alloy joints were systematically investigated. The as-received alloy exhibited a typical duplex microstructure consisting of equiaxed primary α phase and laminated secondary α phase/β phase. The high cooling rate during welding resulted in substantially microstructure evolution in the fusion zone (FZ) of the joints, leading to the formation of large columnar β grains with embedded acicular α′ martensitic phase platelets. The influences of such microstructure variations on the mechanical properties and fracture behaviors at different temperatures were analyzed and discussed. In principle, the hard-yet-brittle α′ martensitic phase induced significantly strengthening of the FZ. As a result, for the un-notched specimens, the plastic deformation was concentrated to the soft base material with subsequent ductile fracture via micro-void coalescence mechanism. But for the notched specimen, in which the notch located just within the FR, cracks initiated and proceeded along the FR in a brittle manner.

Tailoring Strength and Ductility of an Fe–Mn–Al–C Low‐Density Duplex Steel by Controlling the Cooling Path after Hot Rolling

The low‐density duplex steels provide a potential for the industrial application owing to their good strength‐ductility match and reduced density. In the present work, the microstructure of an Fe–8.03Mn–6.10Al–0.4C (wt%) low‐density duplex steel was adjusted by controlling the cooling path after hot rolling, which is a conventional process during the production of steel sheets and strips. A microstructure of ferrite and austenite has been achieved by annealing the air‐cooled samples, and the microstructure of furnace‐cooled annealed samples consists of banded ferrite, austenite, and martensite. This is mainly due to the fact that the austenite is more stable by refining the grain size via embedding the needle‐like α‐ferrite. The existing of martensite and the banded microstructure in furnace‐cooled annealed samples induces the occurrence of cracks during deformation, resulting in an abrupt fracture at a relatively lower strain level. However, for air‐cooled annealed samples, a good ductility of duplex microstructure ensures that the deformation can be sustained up to a much higher strain level, and the transformation induced plasticity effect plays a positive role at the later deformation stage; this contributes to the occurrence of an extra work hardening rate recovery during deformation and thus to a good strength‐ductility match.

Quantitative analysis of microstructure evolution, stress partitioning and thermodynamics in the dynamic transformation of Fe-14Ni alloy

Dynamic transformation (DT) of austenite (γ) to ferrite (α) in the hot deformation of various carbon steels was widely investigated. However, the nature of DT remains unclear due to the lack of quantitative analysis of stress partitioning between two phases and the uncertainty of local distribution of substitutional elements at the interface in multi-component carbon steels used in the previous studies. Therefore, in the present study, a binary Fe-Ni alloy with α + γ duplex microstructure in equilibrium was prepared and isothermally compressed in α + γ two-phase region to achieve a quantitative analysis of microstructure evolution, stress partitioning, and thermodynamics during DT. γ to α DT during isothermal compression and α to γ reverse transformation on isothermal annealing under unloaded condition after deformation were accompanied by Ni partitioning. The lattice strains during thermomechanical processing were obtained via in-situ neutron diffraction measurement, based on which the stress partitioning behavior between γ and α was discussed by using the generalized Hooke's law. A thermodynamic framework for the isothermal deformation in solids was established based on the basic laws of thermodynamics, and it was shown that the total Helmholtz free energy change in the deformable material during the isothermal process should be smaller than the work done to the deformable material. Under the present thermodynamic framework, the microstructure evolution in the isothermal compression of Fe-14Ni alloy was well explained by considering the changes in chemical free energy, plastic and elastic energies, and the work done to the material. In addition, the stabilization of the soft α phase in Fe-14Ni alloy by deformation was rationalized since the γ to α transformation decreased the total Helmholtz free energy by decreasing the elastic and dislocation energies.

A Systematic Review of Medium‐Mn Steels with an Assessment of Fatigue Behavior

Deformation‐induced mechanisms, namely, transformation‐induced plasticity (TRIP) and twinning‐induced plasticity (TWIP), are primarily responsible for improved tensile properties in medium‐Mn steels. Additionally, lower density and processing costs make these steels useful in various industries, particularly the automotive industry, which mandates a good understanding of underlying processing–microstructure–property correlations. Therefore, the present study reviews different thermomechanical processes and corresponding microstructural evolutions, followed by mechanical properties. In addition, an assessment of the fatigue behavior of medium‐Mn steels based on duplex or multiphase microstructure and associated mechanisms has been presented. In high‐cycle fatigue (HCF) loading, strain‐induced martensite formation through TRIP at the crack tip is a barrier to dislocation motion. It deviates the crack propagation path to adjacent phases, which results in higher fatigue life. On the other hand, relatively high martensite boundaries initiate microcracks and accelerate crack propagation, resulting in lower life in low‐cycle fatigue (LCF). However, the TWIP mechanism prevents cyclic softening and promotes cyclic saturation, extending fatigue life. The compositions of medium‐Mn steel for enhanced fatigue resistance have been proposed. To that end, it is hypothesized that the TRIP + TWIP mechanisms lead to exceptional LCF performance. Further, microalloyed medium‐Mn steels are expected to exhibit improved LCF and HCF behavior.

A Comparative Investigation of Duplex and Super Duplex Stainless Steels Processed through Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The aim of this paper was to compare duplex (DSS) and super duplex stainless steel processed by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) based on the process parameters and microstructure–nanomechanical property relationships. Each alloy was investigated with respect to its feedstock powder characteristics. Optimum process parameters including scanning speed, laser power, beam diameter, laser energy density, and layer thickness were defined for each alloy, and near-fully dense parts (>99.9%) were produced. Microstructural analysis was performed via optical (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The samples were subjected to stress relief and high-temperature annealing. EBSD revealed the crystallographic orientation and quantified the phases in the as-built and annealed sample conditions. The as-built samples revealed a fully ferritic microstructure with a small amount of grain boundary austenite in the SDSS microstructure. High-temperature solution annealing resulted in the desired duplex microstructure for both alloys. There were no secondary phases present in the microstructure after both heat treatments. Nanoindentation generated nanomechanical (modulus) mapping grids and quantified the nanomechanical (both hardness and modulus) response; plasticity and stress relief were also assessed in all three conditions (as-built, stress-relieved, and annealed) in both DSS and SDSS. Austenite formation in the annealed condition contributed to lower hardness levels (~4.3–4.8 Gpa) and higher plastic deformation compared to the as-built (~5.7–6.3 Gpa) and stress-relieved conditions (~4.8–5.8 Gpa) for both alloys. SDSS featured a ~60% austenite volume fraction in its annealed and quenched microstructure, attributed to its higher nickel and nitrogen contents compared to DSS, which exhibited a ~30% austenite volume fraction.

Quantitative relationship between impact toughness and quasi-static tensile properties of Ti-652 titanium alloy

Opinions regarding the relationship between impact toughness and quasi-static properties of titanium alloys remain divided to this day. In this paper, quasi-static tensile property parameters were introduced into the classical model of elastic-plastic fracture toughness. Utilizing the absorbed energy during the elastic and plastic stages, as conveyed by the integral of the quasi-static tensile stress-strain curve, the description of elastic and plastic work within the fracture toughness model was provided. Additionally, for the first time, a quantitative model relating impact toughness to quasi-static tensile property parameters in high-strength titanium alloys was proposed and applied to the high-strength Ti-652 titanium alloy. Decoupling the elastic and plastic segments of stress-strain curve, it was found that plasticity contributes more to impact toughness than strength, especially for high-strength metallic materials. Comparing the mechanical properties of Ti-652 titanium alloy with 9 kinds of microstructure, M9 was found to have the highest impact toughness (53.713 J/cm2) which features a duplex microstructure and underwent more severe plastic deformation during the test of samples, leaving shear bands and “ripple-like” patterns on the quasi-static tensile and impact fractures. Besides, statistics of dislocation density assisted by TEM images demonstrate that the dislocation density (ρ̅GND=4.82 ×1014 m−2) of high-impact toughness specimens are apparently higher than that (ρ̅GND=3.86 ×1014 m−2) of low-impact toughness specimens. Severe plastic deformation increased the energy consumption during the fracture process, resulting in high impact toughness of specimen.

Effect of high magnetic field treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy prepared by powder-hot isostatic pressing

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy prepared by powder-hot isostatic pressing have been adjusted by high magnetic field treatment. Results show high magnetic field treatment not just refines the duplex microstructures but increases the proportion of CSL boundaries for the γ phase, and accordingly improves the strength and elongation of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy. Particularly, the ultimate tensile strength increases to 440 MPa and the room elongation increases from 0.4% to 1% after holding for 3 h at 1260℃ in the 10 T magnetic field. Magnetoplastic effect, changing the dislocation characteristics due to the transformation of electron spin state, well clarifies the alteration of microstructures features and the improvement of mechanical properties of TiAl alloys. This work points out the significant role of high magnetic field treatment on the regulation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiAl alloys.

Novel Powder Feedstock towards Microstructure Engineering in Laser Powder Bed Fusion: A Case Study on Duplex/Super Duplex and Austenitic Stainless-Steel Alloys

Additive manufacturing of Duplex Stainless Steels (DSS) and Super Duplex Stainless Steels (SDSS) has been successfully demonstrated using LPBF in recent years, however, both alloys feature an almost fully ferritic microstructure in the as-built condition due to the fast cooling rates associated with the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process. Blends of DSS and SDSS powders were formulated with austenitic stainless-steel 316L powder, aiming to achieve increased austenite formation during in the LPBF as-built condition to potentially minimize the post heat treatments (solution annealing and quenching). Powder characteristics were investigated and process parameters were optimized to produce near fully dense parts. Nanoindentation (NI) tests were conducted to measure, not only the local mechanical properties and correlate them with the as-built microstructure, but also to gain a deeper understanding in the deformation behavior of individual phases that cannot be studied directly by macroscopic tensile tests. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) were employed for microstructural analysis and phase quantification. The microstructural analysis and EBSD phase maps revealed an increase in austenite in the as-built microstructures. Blend 1 resulted in a duplex microstructure consisting of 10% austenite at the XY plane and 20% austenite at the XZ plane. The austenite content increased with increasing proportion of 316L stainless steel in the powder blends. The DSS blend required a much higher volumetric energy density for the fabrication of near fully dense parts. This imposed a slower solidification and a higher melt pool homogeneity, allowing for adequate diffusion of the austenite stabilizing elements. The presented workflow and findings from this study provide valuable insights into powder mixing for the development of custom alloys for rapid material screening in LPBF.

Comparison of microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the high-strength low-alloy steels fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing versus conventional casting

A comparison study on the microstructure and mechanical property between the wire arc additive manufacture (WAAM) high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel and the as-cast one was carried out. A more optimized CMT-based WAAM parameter was selected to fabricate a nearly defect-free single-passed thin-wall part. It was found that the main body of the deposit at the middle zone exhibited a typical granular bainite (GB) duplex microstructure consisting of bainite ferrite (BF) and martensite/austenite (M/A) island. Also, the middle zone exhibited a band segregation between the two adjacent columnar prior-γ grains. The band segregation distance is apparently shorter compared with the cellular segregation distance in the as-cast steel. In addition, the as-cast steel has the bainitic microstructure consisting of larger grain-sized BF and nano-twinned martensite island. On a basis of the microstructure characteristics, the nonequilibrium solidification and solid-solid phase transition accompanying with the segregation behavior during the WAAM deposition of the molten pools were studied. Such the above structured as-deposited steel, in comparison to the as-cast one, was decreased in σy from 594.9 MPa to 426.2 MPa, but increased in σuts from 778.6 MPa to 858.4 MPa, and also greatly increased in εtotal from 10.9% to 20.7%. The apparently enhanced εtotal of the as-deposited steel was interpreted in connection with the fabrication processing-induced microstructural variation of the two steels.

Effects of soaking temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a medium Mn steel for hot/warm forming

The increasing demands for better crashworthiness of vehicles require structural components with excellent energy absorption performance and anti-intrusion resistance. Here, we explored the potential of using a medium Mn steel with a 10 wt.% Mn content for hot/warm forming with the aim to produce automotive components with improved strength–ductility combination. The soaking temperature was varied from 670 to 870 °C for tuning the microstructure and the resultant mechanical properties. It is found that a duplex microstructure consisting of ferrite with a high dislocation density and retained austenite with a volume fraction of 53.5% is formed at 720 °C, leading to an exceptional strength–ductility combination (yield strength: 1016 MPa; ultimate tensile strength: 1407 MPa; total elongation: 32.7%). The energy absorbed before fracture is 39.8 GPa·%, which is four times more than that of the widely-used 22MnB5 boron steel. On basis of the experimental results, the effects of soaking temperature on austenite reverse transformation, ferrite recrystallization and martensitic transformation are discussed in depth to provide guidance for optimizing the strength–ductility combination of medium Mn steels processed by hot/warm forming.

Improvement in low-temperature toughness of Fe-6.5Mn-0.08C Medium-Mn steel by multi-step heat treatment

In this study, a novel multi-step heat treatment method, including intercritical annealing and tempering, is proposed to improve the low-temperature toughness of Fe-6.5Mn-0.08C medium-manganese (Mn) steel. The effects of the subsequent tempering treatment on the microstructural evolution and low-temperature toughness of medium-Mn steel were investigated and compared with those of a single intercritical annealing treatment. Medium-Mn steel subjected to intercritical annealing exhibited a duplex microstructure composed of martensite and nanolaminate-retained austenite. The subsequent tempering treatment after intercritical annealing generated a more homogenous distribution of retained austenite, together with an increase in the volume fraction of the retained austenite. The uniformly distributed retained austenite prevented Mn segregation at prior austenite grain boundaries, and the high fraction of retained austenite effectively inhibited crack propagation, leading to an improvement in the low-temperature toughness. In addition, the subsequent tempered medium-Mn steel contained a considerable amount of retained austenite, which could transform into martensite during the impact test, resulting in an impact fracture morphology that changed from cleavage facets to dimples at low temperatures.

Unique Microstructure Evolution of HPT-Processed (α + γ) Two-Phase Stainless Steel

A high-pressure torsion (HPT) processed Fe-21Cr-5Ni-2Mo (mass%) two-phase stainless steel was used to study the morphology and crystallographic features of austenite (γ) precipitated from ferrite (α) during aging in the (α + γ) two-phase region. The starting material was a gas-atomized powder with a completely ferritic structure. The HPT process was carried out to produce a fully dense compact under 6 GPa for 5 revolutions. The compact was given an equivalent strain of about 130. After the HPT process, the matrix ferrite formed a pancake–like nanograined structure with a strong texture, i.e. ND (Normal Direction) // {110} α. By annealing at 1173 K for 3.6 k, an ultrafine (α + γ) microduplex structure with high-angle grain boundaries was formed. In addition, the strong texture formation of {110} α / {111} γ / ND plane was formed in the α and the γ grain duplex structure. The α and γ phases had average grain sizes of 2.1 μm and 1.6 μm, respectively. The area fraction of the γ phase was 37.2%, which exceeded that of a cold-pressed compact, 6.7%. Both ultrafine grain refinement and γ precipitation were accelerated by the HPT process. In other words, the application of the HPT process to the two-phase alloys enables the formation of the ultrafine microduplex structure. The Kurdjumov-Sachs (K-S) orientation relationship between α and γ phases is usually observed in the alloy, however, the K-S orientation relationship was not dominant except for the close packing plane parallel orientation relationship, {110} α / {111} γ, in the HPT-processed material.

Heterostructures enhance simultaneously strength and ductility of a commercial titanium alloy

Enhancing both strength and ductility simultaneously in commercial alloys at an industrial scale remains a challenging task. In this study, we have demonstrated a simple heat treatment method to achieve a heterostructure with coarse and ultra-fine lamellar α precipitates in a common titanium alloy, Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr-1Zr. Guided by computer simulations, we successfully attained microscale concentration modulations in the β-phase matrix using up-quenching of a duplex microstructure consisting of a globular primary α phase (αp) and β matrix to dissolve the αp phase rapidly and leave residual concentrations. We subsequently applied aging treatments to create finely dispersed regions of coarse and ultra-fine α precipitates embedded in the β matrix by activating different phase transformation mechanisms. Compared to the commercial alloy that has a homogeneous lamellar structure, the heterostructured alloy we produced exhibits a 6% increase in ultimate tensile strength and a remarkable 130% increase in elongation. The outstanding ductility of the heterostructured alloy is attributable to its unique microstructure design, which prevents strain localization and allows full activation of dislocation and twin deformations in the coarse and ultra-fine α regions. Meanwhile, the high strength of the alloy can be attributed to the enhanced back stress effect induced by strain partitioning of the heterostructure. Our study demonstrates a simple and effective method for creating bulk heterostructures in precipitation-hardened alloys at an industrial scale, leading to substantially improved strength and ductility.

Influence of Combined Heat Treatment and Hot Isostatic Pressure (HT-HIP) on Titanium Aluminide Processed by L-PBF.

Postprocessing is essential for improving titanium aluminide (TiAl) microstructure and part quality after using the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) method. It has been reported that Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb (%at) processed by L-PBF has internal defects and low fracture toughness. Microstructure control by heat treatment (HT) showed a significant improvement in the ductility of the material. Alternatively, hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) could be applied to reduce the residual stresses and internal defects formed during the L-PBF. Combining the benefits of these two subsequent processes into a single predetermined process is appealing for Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb (%at) to minimize cost. This work presents a novel strategy to postprocess L-PBF TiAl by applying combined heat treatment and hot isostatic pressing in one process, namely HT-HIP. The process includes three cycles with different conditions (i.e., temperature, time, and pressure). These conditions were determined to achieve improved part quality and microstructure. The results show that the tensile residual stresses decreased from a peak of 249 MPa in the as-built sample to compressive stresses that peaked at -90 MPa after the HT-HIP process. The number and size of internal defects could be greatly reduced. The defects were transformed into a regular spherical shape, which is good in terms of fatigue strength. Additionally, a duplex microstructure with lamellar α2/γ colonies could be introduced for better ductility. Different levels of duplex microstructure could be achieved along with the process cycles. The grain structure using EBSD analysis showed refined equiaxed grains, which demonstrate better strength after the HT-HIP process. Twinning boundaries were also observed in the HT-HIP sample. The grain orientation tendency to the build direction significantly reduced after the HT-HIP process. The nanoindentation test was applied to evaluate the nanohardness of the as-built and HT-HIP samples. It could be demonstrated that the nanohardness is dependent on the formed phases and lamellar density inside the grains. The mean hardness value was 8.19 GPa for the as-built sample, while it was 5.48 GPa for the HT-HIP sample.

Microstructural features and mechanical behavior of duplex stainless steel/low carbon steel friction stir dissimilar weld

This paper aims to understand the effect of friction stir butt welding on the microstructure and mechanical performance, measured in terms of hardness characteristics, transverse tensile test, and shear punch, of dissimilar weld of duplex stainless steel (DSS) and low carbon steel (LCS). The dynamic recrystallization, material intermixing, and atomic interdiffusion between DSS and LCS governed the microstructure of the stirred zone. The stirred zone was free from harmful intermetallic phases like the sigma phase. It was identified that three distinct metallurgical regions feature the stirred zone, including (i) dual-phase zone (DPZ) with an unbalanced fine duplex microstructure of austenite and ferrite, (ii) ferrite phase zone (FPZ) with fine-grained ferrite strengthened by an enhanced Ni and Cr content, (iii) martensite zone (MRZ), which was formed due to the formation of thermally unstable austenite at high temperatures due to Cr, Ni, and C interdiffusion between DPZ and FPZ. Furthermore, when LCS was positioned on the advancing side, a higher fraction of martensite was formed in the stirred zone due to the more efficient material mixing. The shear punch test indicated that the shear strength of the stirred zone in the dissimilar welds was ∼130% and ∼16% higher than that in the LCS and DSS base metals, respectively. The contributions of solid solution hardening and grain boundary hardening to the hardness/strength of the stirred zone were elucidated.

Effect of grain structure on the mechanical properties of a Monel alloy fabricated by laser-based directed energy deposition

Monel K-500 is a Ni–Cu alloy widely used in the marine and offshore industry due to their superior resistance to corrosion in seawater and hence easily degraded. To address this problem, laser-based directed energy deposition (LDED) is used to repair or refabricate these high-value worn parts. To optimize the mechanical properties of repaired parts, the commonly applied solution and aging is not ideal because it also changes the properties of the base materials. Consequently, in situ control of the grain structures during the LDED process becomes an effective approach for high-performance repair. In this study, we fabricated a duplex grain structure with small grain size and low texture intensity using low laser power and scanning velocity. The duplex microstructure consists of short columnar grains and zigzag-distributed fine equiaxed grains. The formation of this grain structure is dependent on both the solidification and recrystallization mechanisms. The strength of this grain structure is improved to 523.5 MPa without the sacrifice of ductility, which is instead 20% higher than that of the counterpart consisting of typical columnar grains due to the grain refinement and crack toughening. The mechanical properties of the alloy with the duplex grain structure are even comparable to heat-treated Monel K-500 fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing. This work provides valuable insights into the in situ optimization of the microstructure and mechanical properties of LDED-fabricated parts.

Mechanical properties and deformation behaviors of Ti-5Al-5Mo-1Fe-1Cr alloy with duplex and single-phase microstructures

To clarify the differences of mechanical properties and deformation behaviors of a Ti−5Al−5Mo−1Fe−1Cr (wt.%) alloy with duplex and single-phase microstructures, the tensile properties and deformation modes of the alloy with these two different microstructures were studied systematically. The results show that the sample with the duplex microstructure has a tensile yield strength of 886 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 1075 MPa and an elongation of 21.5%. The sample with the single β phase has a relatively lower strength and a similar elongation. The sample with the duplex microstructure has a ductile fracture mode and deforms via dislocation slipping in the β matrix and spherical or plate-like α phases. The slip systems are {112}β<111>>β in β matrix, and {1122}α <1123>α and {1010}α <1210>α in α phase. In contrast, the single-phase sample has a quasi-cleavage fracture mode and deforms via dislocation slipping and stress- induced α″ martensite transformation, and the slip systems are {110}β <111>β and {112}β <111>β.