Influence of Preheating Temperature on Microstructure Evolution and Hardness of High-Speed Steel AISI M50 Processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology has been involved in the tooling industry to produce tools with complex geometry and integrated functions. However, tool steels with high carbon content tend to crack due to the thermal stresses during the LPBF process. One solution is increasing the powder bed temperature to avoid large thermal gradients. In the present study, the influence of the preheating temperature on microstructure and corresponding hardness is systematically investigated. With the help of time–temperature–transformation diagram, the phase evolution during the LPBF process is systematically explained. AISI M50 samples are produced by LPBF from room temperature to a preheating temperature of 650 °C. Higher preheating temperatures shift the optimal laser parameter window to lower volume energy densities. A cellular/dendritic microstructure formed during the rapid solidification with retained austenite is located at the interdendritic regions. Moreover, a high preheating temperature reduces the retained austenite fraction, specifically from 39% without preheating to 7.6% at 650 °C preheating temperature.     

含铈马氏体时效钢带材的织构与弹塑性各向异性

采用织构的ＯＤＦ分析方法，研究了含铈马氏体时效钢冷轧带材、时效与固溶等处理后织构地的转变规律，以织构作权重函数理论预估了弹性各向异性（弹性模量）和塑性各向异性比（ｒ值），并讨论了织构与弹塑性各向异性的关系。     

Effect of Volumetric Energy Density on Microstructure and Properties of Grade 300 Maraging Steel Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - This study investigated the effect of laser powder bed fusion process parameters on the microstructure and properties of maraging steel. The results...     

Microstructure and Hardness of T250 Maraging Steel in Heat Affected Zone

 Electron beam (EB) welding was used in T250 maraging steel, microstructures of both base material and heat affected zone (HAZ) were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and microhardness was tested. The results showed that during EB welding, the HAZ of T250 maraging steel exhibited a continuous gradient structure. The microstructure of the entire HAZ, from fusion line, could be divided into four zones: fusion zone, overheated zone, transition zone, and hardened zone. The microhardness showed a distinct regularity in each area. The softest region was the fusion zone, whereas the hardest was the hardened zone. In the overheated zone, the hardness increased as the grain size decreased. Furthermore, in the transition zone, the hardness level dropped noticeably. The peak temperature during the thermal cycle had a great influence on the formation of reverted austenite and dissolution of the precipitated particles, which contributed a lot to the microstructure and hardness of this material.     

Resistance against Abrasive Wear and Corrosion of Laser Powder Bed Alloyed High Chromium Tool Steels

Additive manufacturing by laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M) enables the production of complex shaped components. High-carbon tool steels tend to cracking during PBF-LB/M due to internal stresses caused by the rapid solidification. Expensive atomization and long lead times for powder generate high costs in this processing route. In situ alloying during PBF-LB/M of powder blends from conventionally available powders enables a more flexible approach of alloy design. For industrial use, the mechanical properties of in situ alloyed parts must be comparable to those of conventionally manufactured parts. In some cutting and forming applications, high wear resistance and corrosion resistance are required simultaneously. High alloyed cold work tool steels with sufficient chromium solved in the metal matrix fulfill these demands. Herein, AISI H13 is modified by Cr₃C₂ and elemental Cr to suit these requirements. Two novel alloys are modeled thermodynamically and processed by PBF-LB/M. In-depth microstructural investigations by backscatter electron imaging and diffraction in combination with abrasive wear tests and potentiodynamic polarization curves allow microstructure property correlations for different heat-treated conditions. Partial crack-free processing, hardenability, formation of Cr-rich carbides, and residual Cr-rich inclusions are observed and their influence on the wear and corrosion resistance is discussed.     

The Influence of Process Parameters on the Low-Cycle Fatigue Properties of 316L Steel Parts Produced by Powder Bed Fusion

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - In this paper, the influence of the additive manufacturing (AM), powder bed fusion (PBF) process parameters on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) properties of...     

Corrugation Reinforced Architectured Materials by Direct Laser Hardening: A Study of Geometrically Induced Work Hardening in Steel

Improving the strength-to-ductility trade-off remains the prime driving force for the development of advanced high-strength steel. Traditionally research breakthroughs are focused on the microstructure and relative phase composition. Herein, laser hardening is applied to ductile ferritic steel to introduce straight and corrugated martensitic reinforcements, effectively generating architectured steel sheets. Tensile behavior of laser-architectured samples is studied both using finite-element method simulation and mechanical testing to reveal the effect of laser-induced corrugations on strength and necking strain. The results show that with the same reinforced volume fraction of 24%, an increase in corrugation height/period leads to a gain in necking strain with a loss in yield strength and ultimate tensile stress. This beneficial effect on necking strain is due to the corrugation unbending process which introduces so-called geometric work hardening during tension. Extended simulations are carried out on various corrugation heights/periods and the evolution trends of ultimate tensile strength and necking change with different reinforced volumes. This study proposes a perspective on corrugation-reinforced architectured materials. Corrugation parameters can be chosen to tailor the mechanical behavior of laser-architectured materials.     

Improving the Fatigue Strength of Laser Powder Bed-Fused AISI M3:2 by Hot Isostatic Pressing

Laser additive manufacturing enables the one-step fabrication of complex parts. However, pores and carbide networks, which are not avoidable from the laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) process, deteriorate the fatigue strength significantly. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) with integrated heat treatment is a powerful post-treatment that densifies the material and modifies the microstructure. Herein, AISI M3:2 samples are produced by LPBF and then are either austenitized, quenched, and tempered in a HIP unit under pressure or are only hardened and tempered in a vacuum oven. The corresponding microstructure is analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The fatigue strength is determined by rotation bending tests. Fracture surfaces are observed under scanning electron microscopy for failure analysis. While both post-treatments lead to similar microstructure, the fatigue strength is significantly improved by the HIP process.     

Comparative Study of Oxide Speciation in Steel by Inert Gas Fusion Technique

The paper presents the application of an improved procedure for oxide speciation in steels by temperature ramped inert gas fusion technique on commercially available instruments. Main steps of analysis, data processing and interpretation of the results are described. The effects of instrumentation and auxiliary materials on the evolution kinetics of oxygen during an analysis are emphasised. The procedure is applied to determine the content of alumina and spinel species in high‐carbon steels, attested as reference materials. The results of the gas fusion technique are correlated to those of the chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X‐ray detector.     

Peculiarities of the Microstructure and Properties of Parts Produced by the Direct Laser Deposition of 316L Steel Powder

Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals - The direct laser deposition of metal powders is one additive method of producing functional materials. It consists of the melting of metallic powders by a...     

Thermal Fatigue Behavior of AISI H13 Hot Work Tool Steel Produced by Direct Laser Metal Deposition

Direct laser metal deposition (DLMD) is an additive manufacturing technique getting growing attention thanks to the possibility of producing very complex parts in a short time and in a cost-effective manner. The possible applications of this technology are tools with conformal cooling channels and claddings for dies and molds reparation. One of the damaging mechanisms of tools is thermal fatigue (TF) cracking, leading to surface deterioration and, consequently, the processed parts. Herein, the TF behavior of DLMD-H13 submitted to two different heat treatments, namely direct tempering (T) and quenching and tempering (QT), is investigated. T does not significantly change the solidification microstructure after DLMD, whereas QT produces a more homogenous tempered martensite microstructure. A customary laboratory test is developed to induce TF damage under a cyclic temperature variation between 630 and 60 °C. The results evidence that the T-H13 has a slightly better TF resistance with respect to QT-H13 due to the higher tempering resistance of T-H13 with respect to QT-H13. Thus, according to TF test results, direct tempering can be preferred to quench and tempering since the elimination of quenching can decrease the costs of production as well as distortions-related issues, increasing the competitiveness of DLMD.