A study of micro- and surface structures of additive manufactured selective laser melted nickel based superalloys

This study examined the micro- and surface structures of objects manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM). The results show that the surface roughness in additively manufactured objects is strongly dependent on the geometry of the built part whereas the microstructure is largely unaffected. As additive manufacturing techniques improve, the application range increases and new parameters become the limiting factor in high performance applications. Among the most demanding applications are turbine components in the aerospace and energy industries. These components are subjected to high mechanical, thermal and chemical stresses and alloys customized to endure these environments are required, these are often called superalloys. Even though the alloys themselves meet the requirements, imperfections can arise during manufacturing that weaken the component. Pores and rough surfaces serve as initiation points to cracks and other defects and are therefore important to consider. This study used scanning electron-, optical- and focus variation microscopes to evaluate the microstructures as well as parameters of surface roughness in SLM manufactured nickel based superalloys, Inconel 939 and Hastelloy X. How the orientation of the built part affected the surface and microstructure was also examined. The results show that pores, melt pools and grains where not dependent on build geometry whereas the surface roughness was greatly affected. Both the Rz andRa values of individual measurements were almost doubled between different sides of the built samples. This means that surface roughness definitely is a factor to be considered when using SLM manufacturing.