Controlling mechanical properties of laser powder bed fused AlSi10Mg through manipulation of laser scan rotation

The microstructure and mechanical properties of laser powder bed fused (LPBF) AlSi10Mg alloys can be controlled by many processing parameters. This study focuses on the scan rotation angle, alpha, between adjacent layers, and establishes the relationship between alpha and tensile behavior of the as-built LPBF-processed AlSi10Mg alloy. Near-full density cubic coupons were manufactured using the same processing parameters but with systematic variation of alpha from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. Microscopic observations and X-ray diffraction analysis showed that differences among various coupons mainly include orientations of the melt pools with respect to the build direction and development of the crystallographic texture. The alpha=0 degrees coupon and alpha=30 degrees coupon showed the highest and lowest texture index, although the overall crystallographic texture was mild. Tensile specimens were manufactured horizontally and vertically using either alpha=0 degrees or alpha=30 degrees, but with various first layer laser direction with respect to the build plate. Notably, the alpha=0 degrees specimen that was tested along the laser scan direction showed the largest yield strength (283 MPa) and highest tensile ductility (10.1 %). Quantitative image analysis and fractography were performed on all specimens. Results showed that the melt pool orientation with respect to the tensile direction affected the tensile behavior across the different specimens. This was closely related to the localized strain distribution within the melt pool and along the melt pool boundary for the different melt pool orientations observed. These results demonstrate that the laser scan rotation angle between layers can be used to fine tune the mechanical properties of LPBF AlSi10Mg alloy.