Quantitative Evaluation of Bulk and Interface Microstructures in Al-3003 Alloy Builds Made by Very High Power Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing

Ultrasonically consolidated 3003 aluminum alloy builds were prepared with constituent tapes by using a very high power ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) process. Microstructures of interface and bulk regions were quantitatively characterized using the electron backscattered diffraction technique. The interface microstructure consists of equiaxed grains. The 〈111〉 crystallographic directions of these grains were aligned with the normal direction of the specimen, confirming a shear deformation mode at these regions. In addition, due to recrystallization, the density of low-angle grain boundaries also significantly decreased. In contrast, original elongated grains and partially recrystallized grains were observed in the bulk region of the tape. These elongated grains correspond to rolling texture components of face-centered-cubic materials. The preceding microstructure gradients are rationalized based on the accumulated thermomechanical cycles during processing.