Microstructure and strength of selectively laser melted AlSi10Mg

Jing Wu, Xiqian Wang, Wei Wang, Moataz Attallah, Michael Loretto

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Abstract

Samples of laser powder bed processed AlSi10Mg have been examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning TEM so that the complex microstructures of as-fabricated samples could be characterised. In longitudinal sections, columnar Al grains, about 10 μm in diameter, dominate the microstructure, but some equiaxed regions are seen. The columnar grains are made up of long cells, about 500 nm in width, rather than dendrites, which are separated from adjacent identical orientation long cells and from non-parallel cells at Al grain boundaries, by Al-Si eutectic. There is a substructure on the scale of 300–500 nm, of identical orientation “sub-cells” throughout the length of the long cells also separated by regions of the Al-Si eutectic. Microdiffraction is necessary to distinguish between cell boundaries, sub-cell boundaries and grain boundaries. The “cell-like” structures observed in cross section samples are cross sections of these long cells and of the Al-Si eutectic at cell boundaries. Deformed as-fabricated samples have been examined in TEM to assess the role of Si particles within the cells and of the Al-Si-eutectic boundaries on the response of SLMed samples to plastic deformation. In addition in situ compression tests in a TEM have been carried out which show that cell boundaries, sub-cell boundaries and particles within the cells limit dislocation movement during deformation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)311-320
JournalActa Materialia
Volume117
Early online date22 Jul 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Sept 2016

Keywords

  • AlSi alloys
  • Powder processing
  • Diffraction
  • Cells
  • Eutectic
  • In-situ compression

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