Abstract Refractory complex concentrated alloys (RCCAs) show potential as the next-generation structural materials due to their superior strength in extreme environments. However, RCCAs processed by metal additive manufacturing (AM) typically suffer from process-related challenges surrounding laser material interaction defects and microstructure control. Multimodalin situtechniques (synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction and infrared imaging) and melt pool-level simulations were employed to understand rapid solidification pathways in two representative RCCAs: (i) multi-phase BCC + HCP Ti0.4Zr0.4Nb0.1Ta0.1and (ii) single-phase BCC Ti0.486V0.375Cr0.111Ta0.028. As expected, laser material interaction defects followed similar systematic trends in process parameter space for both alloys. Additionally, both alloys formed a single-phase (BCC) microstructure after rapid solidification processing. However, significant differences in microstructure selection between these alloys were discovered, where Ti0.4Zr0.4Nb0.1Ta0.1showed a mixture of equiaxed and columnar grains, while Ti0.486V0.375Cr0.111Ta0.028was dominated by columnar growth. These behaviors were well described by the influence of undercooling effects on columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET). Distinct microstructure formation in each alloy was verified through CET predictions via analytical melt pool simulations, which showed a ~ 5 × increase degrees in undercooling for Ti0.4Zr0.4Nb0.1Ta0.1compared to Ti0.486V0.375Cr0.111Ta0.028. Overall, these results show that microstructure control based on modulating the freezing range must be balanced with process considerations which resist defect formation, such as solidification crack formation in RCCAs. Graphical abstract
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Underlying factors determining grain morphologies in high-strength titanium alloys processed by additive manufacturing
Abstract In recent research, additions of solute to Ti and some Ti-based alloys have been employed to produce equiaxed microstructures when processing these materials using additive manufacturing. The present study develops a computational scheme for guiding the selection of such alloying additions, and the minimum amounts required, to effect the columnar to equiaxed microstructural transition. We put forward two physical mechanisms that may produce this transition; the first and more commonly discussed is based on growth restriction factors, and the second on the increased freezing range effected by the alloying addition coupled with the imposed rapid cooling rates associated with AM techniques. We show in the research described here, involving a number of model binary as well as complex multi-component Ti alloys, and the use of two different AM approaches, that the latter mechanism is more reliable regarding prediction of the grain morphology resulting from given solute additions.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1905844
- PAR ID:
- 10513462
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Nature
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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