Anisotropic and high-temperature deformation behavior of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg: Experiments and microscale modeling

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has gained considerable interest in various industries in recent years. Understanding the deformation behavior of additively manufactured metallic components and its underlying mechanisms is important to push the boundaries of applications. In this work, the mechanical behaviors of AlSi10Mg produced by laser powder bed fusion are investigated at different temperatures and strain rates by both experiments and modeling. A dislocation-based crystal plasticity finite element model is utilized to delve into the intrinsic deformation mechanisms, such as dislocation multiplication, annihilation and strain rate sensitivity, which is validated by comparing the deformation behavior and dislocation evolution with those in experiments. The model combined with experiments is used to understand the temperature dependence of the strain rate sensitivity, critical resolved shear stress and dislocation annihilation distance. We further investigate the strain distributions at different temperatures and strain rates, revealing the effect of grain orientation and size on deformation behavior. Additionally, the anisotropic behavior of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg parts built in different directions is studied. The results show that grains with <100> direction parallel to the load direction have large plastic deformation, while the stress concentrates in the grains near <110> direction. These insights are crucial for understanding the deformation mechanisms of AMed AlSi10Mg, thereby potentially advancing the design and application of AM components in extreme conditions.