skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Solidification crack propagation and morphology dependence on processing parameters in AA6061 from ultra-high-speed x-ray visualization
Solidification or hot cracks are commonly observed defects in a number of metal alloys and may lead to deterioration of additively manufactured parts quality. In this study, ultra-high-speed x-ray radiography experiments enable the observation and characterization of bundles of hot-cracks that form in monobloc AA6061 substrate. The crack bundles are related to meltpool characteristics and pore formation. Crack propagation rate is also presented for the case of a crack that initiates from a pore. Two types of relevant pore formation are also described, namely keyhole porosity and crack-remelting porosity. The results of this study are expected to facilitate the validation of theoretical and numerical models of solidification cracking.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1905910
PAR ID:
10233353
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Additive manufacturing
Volume:
42
ISSN:
2214-7810
Page Range / eLocation ID:
101959
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. In functionally graded materials (FGMs) fabricated using directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing (AM), cracks may form due to interdendritic stress during solidification, the formation of deleterious phases, or the buildup of residual stresses. This study builds on our previously proposed concept of FGM feasibility diagrams to identify gradient pathways that avoid deleterious phases in FGMs by also considering hot cracking. Here, five hot cracking criteria were integrated into the feasibility diagrams, and equilibrium simulations were carried out based on Scheil results (termed hybrid Scheil-equilibrium simulation) to predict phase formation below the solidus temperature considering solidification micro-segregation. The new feasibility diagrams were applied to four previously studied FGMs, and the newly proposed approach predicted high crack susceptibility, detrimental phase formation, or interdendritic BCC phase formation in the experimentally observed cracking region. This demonstrates the utility of the proposed framework for crack prediction in the design of future FGMs gradient pathways. 
    more » « less
  2. The use of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) for faster and more customized manufacturing has grown significantly. However, LPBF parts often require welding to other components, raising concerns about their weldability due to differences in microstructure compared to conventionally manufactured parts. Despite its importance, research on the weldability of additive manufacturing materials remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the susceptibility of LPBF 316L stainless steel to weld solidification cracking using transverse varestraint testing and compare results with conventional 316L. Tests were conducted across strain levels from 0.5 to 7%, revealing a saturated strain of 4%, with maximum crack length (MCL), maximum crack distance (MCD), and total number of cracks (TNC) of approximately 0.36 mm and 31, respectively. Compared to existing literature, LPBF 316L produced with optimized printing parameters and low nickel equivalent content exhibited higher resistance to weld solidification cracking, reflected in lower MCL and MCD values. Cracks initiated at the solidus interface and propagated along the ferrite–austenite boundary under strain. Microstructural changes were observed after testing, transitioning from cellular austenitic solidification in LPBF to a skeletal ferrite-austenitic mode due to material remelting and slower cooling rates. These findings highlight that reduced nickel equivalent, alongside optimized printing parameters, contribute to enhanced weld solidification cracking resistance in LPBF 316L. This study advances understanding of the weldability of LPBF materials. 
    more » « less
  3. Nanoporous gold (np-Au) has found its use in applications ranging from catalysis to biosensing, where pore morphology plays a critical role in performance. While the morphology evolution of bulk np-Au has been widely studied, knowledge about its thin-film form is limited. This work hypothesizes that the mechanical compliance of the thin film substrate can play a critical role in the morphology evolution. Via experimental and finite-element-analysis approaches, we investigate the morphological variation in np-Au thin films deposited on compliant silicone (PDMS) substrates of a range of thicknesses anchored on rigid glass supports and compare those to the morphology of np-Au deposited on glass. More macroscopic (10 s to 100 s of microns) cracks and discrete islands form in the np-Au films on PDMS compared to on glass. Conversely, uniformly distributed microscopic (100 s of nanometers) cracks form in greater numbers in the np-Au films on glass than those on PDMS, with the cracks located within the discrete islands. The np-Au films on glass also show larger ligament and pore sizes, possibly due to higher residual stresses compared to the np-Au/PDMS films. The effective elastic modulus of the substrate layers decreases with increasing PDMS thickness, resulting in secondary np-Au morphology effects, including a reduction in macroscopic crack-to-crack distance, an increase in microscopic crack coverage, and a widening of the microscopic cracks. However, changes in the ligament/pore widths with PDMS thickness are negligible, allowing for independent optimization for cracking. We expect these results to inform the integration of functional np-Au films on compliant substrates into emerging applications, including flexible electronics. 
    more » « less
  4. Cracks and pores are two common defects in metallic additive manufacturing (AM) parts. In this paper, deep learning-based image analysis is performed for defect (cracks and pores) classification/detection based on SEM images of metallic AM parts. Three different levels of complexities, namely, defect classification, defect detection and defect image segmentation, are successfully achieved using a simple CNN model, the YOLOv4 model and the Detectron2 object detection library, respectively. The tuned CNN model can classify any single defect as either a crack or pore at almost 100% accuracy. The other two models can identify more than 90% of the cracks and pores in the testing images. In addition to the application of static image analysis, defect detection is also successfully applied on a video which mimics the AM process control images. The trained Detectron2 model can identify almost all the pores and cracks that exist in the original video. This study lays a foundation for future in situ process monitoring of the 3D printing process. 
    more » « less
  5. ABSTRACT:Creation of a fracture network in a hydraulic fracturing process is essential for subsurface energy extraction and CO2 sequestration. It is facilitated by reactivation of pre-existing intersecting weak layers and cemented cracks in the rock. In this study, a poromechanical model is developed for the hydraulic fracturing process in rocks containing such pre-existing weak layers. Based on the mixture theory, the crack band model is used to simulate the growth of a crack system. The governing equations with the parameters for hydromechanical coupling are derived, to describe the evolution of the opening and branching of cracks caused by water injection. Microplane model M7 is adopted to characterize the deformation and fracturing of the solid skeleton of the rock, and the Poiseuille law is used to characterize fluid flow through the hydraulic fractures. Numerical simulations are performed to reproduce and interpret recently published laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing experiments conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). In these experiments, the rock was represented by confined plaster slabs containing orthogonal intersecting weak layers of higher porosity. Numerical simulations reveal how poromechanical characteristics such as the Biot coefficient and the fluid injection rate lead to various typical fracture modes observed in the experiments. These modes include formation of one dominant planar crack or various orthogonal fracture networks. 
    more » « less