FY18 Alabama NASA EPSCoR Rapid Response: Characterization of Inconel 625 Blown Powder Freeform Deposition Material

There is a plethora of commercialized, metal-based AM techniques with the most commonly used being the Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) methods. Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS™), one common laser-based DED, or Direct Laser Deposition (DLD), used for fabrication and repair of parts, uses a laser to melt a spot on a metal substrate while blowing metal powder into the molten pool. Under normal operation, the substrate, attached to a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) controlled stage, is moved in a user defined pattern to create a single layer, and upon completion, the deposition head, containing the laser focusing lens and the power nozzles, are moved up to begin another layer, with this process repeating until the part is done. Though AM techniques offer many advantages over traditional manufacturing techniques, many of the process-structure-property-performance relationships are not yet fully understood. Certification and qualification of AM processes, as well as standardization of various post-processing or quality checks, is required for AM technology to further mature and be adopted5. Resultant microstructures of DED Inconel 625 parts have been shown to differ drastically from those of their wrought counterparts6-7-8. The DED process is conducive for epitaxial and elongated grain growth, with strong texture depending on build and major thermal gradient directions, resulting in anisotropy in the mechanical properties of the resulting part9. Therefore, the production of application-worthy parts becomes problematic, as both process and feedstock-driven defects, as well as inconsistencies in part microstructure, can lead to unpredictable mechanical behavior, especially in its fatigue response.

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