Influence of laser powder bed fusion process parameters on the microstructure and cracking susceptibility of nickel-based superalloy Alloy 247LC

Microstructures of material conditions of nickel-based superalloy Alloy 247LC fabricated using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) were investigated. Experiments designed in a prior study revealed the L-PBF process parameters for which the material conditions displayed a reduced susceptibility to cracking. Certain process parameters produced material conditions with an increased susceptibility to cracking. In this study, the material conditions were investigated in detail to reveal their microstructure and to determine the cause of cracking. The reason for the transition between a reduced to an increased susceptibility to cracking was examined. The results revealed solidification cracking occurred at high-angle grain boundaries. Solidification cracking may have been promoted at high-angle grain boundaries because of the undercooling contribution of the grain boundary energy. Furthermore, Si segregation was observed in the cracks. Thus, the presence of Si most likely promoted solidification cracking. It was observed that a high crack density, which occurred in the high energy density material condition, was associated with a large average grain size. The fact that certain combination of process parameters produced microstructures with a low susceptibility to cracking, indicates that reliable Alloy 247LC material may be printed using L-PBF by employing improved process parameters. © 2022This work was supported by the KK Foundation [grant number: 20160281] through SUMAN Next and PODFAM projects.