Additive manufacturing (AM) is a growing process interesting many companies in many industries. Thereare multiple processes within the familty of AM, but this study focuses on laser blown powder (LBP). LBP involves a laser beam focused on the substrate with powder being blown into the laser beam. The laser beam melts both the powder and the surface of the substrate and as the laser beam moves and the melt pool solidies it leaves a bead of solid material behind. These beads are placed next to each other creating a layer which are then stacked, building the wanted geometry. As the method develops new materials are tested and this study analyses Haynes 282 powder onto Inconel 718 substrate. Multiple process parameters are involved in the LBP method and this study focuses on the impact of laser effect and scanning speed. Each value on the process parameters was inspired by previous reports with similar equipment and process. The laser effect ranges from 1600 W to 700 W, scanning speed ranges between 900 mm/min to 300 mm/min and the powder feeding rate was also varied from 4 g/min to 3 g/min. Each sample was built as a single bead and a multilayer specimen, which is ve layers and 16 beadswide at the bottom and 12 beads wide at the top. When analyzing the samples images from microscopes were mostly used for obtaining results. An image software called ImageJ allowed measurements in an image to obtain penetration depth or primary dendrite arm spacing. ImageJ also allowed measurements of porosity by turning the image binary and calculate the fraction of white and black. The results consists of numerical values and visual analysis of the bead geometry, minimum and maximum penetration, microstructure, porosity, hardness and cracks. The results show an increased bead width around 2 mm to 4 mm and decreased bead height around 0,2 mm to 0,7 mm of single beads with increased laser effect. Increased maximum penetration depth around, 200 μm to 500 μm, withincreased laser effect. More remelt between each deposited layer causing longer dendrites with increasinglaser effect. Porosity is decreased with an increased laser power, going from 0,04 % to 0,15 %. No distinct difference in hardness is observed between the samples, ranging between 255 HV to 310 HV. It is believed that aging causes the increased hardness right above the fusion zone. Cracks were found between dendrites and is believed to be caused by Laves-phases. Most results are comparable to previous similar studies, both as trends and numerical values. The statistics of the study is limited, meaning that all results should not be taken as granted but as a general guide line for more studies. The purpose and goals of the study has been met and completed.

abstract: The use of solar energy to produce power has increased substantially in the past few decades. In an attempt to provide uninterrupted solar power, production plants may find themselves having to operate the systems at temperatures higher than the operational capacity of the materials used in many of their components, which affects the microstructural and mechanical properties of those materials. Failures in components that have been exposed to these excessive temperatures have been observed during operations in the turbine used by AORA Solar Ltd. A particular component of interest was made of a material similar to the Ni-based superalloy Inconel 718 (IN 718), which was observed to have damage that is believed to have been initiated by Foreign Object Damage (FOD) and worsened by the high temperatures in the turbine. The potential links among the observed failure, FOD and the high temperatures of operation are investigated in this study. IN718 is a precipitation hardened nickel superalloy with resistance to oxidation and ability to withstand high stresses over a wide range of temperatures. Several studies have been conducted to understand IN 718 tensile and fatigue properties at elevated temperatures (600- 950°C). However, this study focuses on understanding the behavior of IN718 with FOD induced by a stream of 50 μm Alumina particles at a velocity of 200 m/s. under high cycle fatigue at an elevated temperature of 1050 °C. Tensile tests were conducted for both as-received and heat treated (1050 °C in air for 8hrs) samples at room and high temperature. Fatigue tests were performed at heat treated samples at 1050 °C for samples with and without ablation. The test conditions were as similar as possible to the conditions in the AORA turbine. The results of the study provide an insight into tensile properties, fatigue properties and FOD. The results indicated a reduction in fatigue life for the samples with ablation damage, where crack nucleation occurred either at the edge or inside the ablation region and multisite cracking was observed under far field stresses that were the same than for pristine samples, which showed single cracks. Fracture surfaces indicate intergranular fracture, with the presence of secondary cracks and a lack of typical fatigue features, e.g., beach marks which was attributed to environmental effects and creep. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Materials Science and Engineering 2017

Superligas à base de níquel vêm sendo extensivamente utilizadas em diversas aplicações nas indústrias devido ao excelente comportamento mecânico e anticorrosivo. No entanto, essas ligas possuem certas particularidades que levam à necessidade de desenvolvimento de técnicas de inspeção e caracterização metalúrgica, como forma de garantir a integridade estrutural dos componentes fabricados com essas ligas. Neste trabalho, a técnica de correntes parasitas foi aplicada à superligas à base de níquel com duas propostas distintas: 1) Em um primeiro momento foi realizado o estudo da evolução microestrutural da liga Inconel 718 durante o processo de envelhecimento através da combinação do ensaio por correntes parasitas, análise de difração de raios-X, análise metalográfica, medidas de dureza e tamanho de grão. As medidas foram realizadas em amostras submetidas a diferentes ciclos de tratamentos térmicos variando entre 620-1035°C. Os resultados mostraram que as diferentes microestruturas do Inconel 718 têm efeitos distintos na condutividade elétrica quando medidos através da técnica de correntes parasitas. A influência da microestrutura na condutividade pode ser mostrada sendo devido à competição de dois efeitos sobre o espalhamento de elétrons: a purificação da matriz e a morfologia, distribuição e tamanho dos precipitados. A combinação dos valores de dureza e condutividade elétrica provou ser uma forma rápida e prática de determinar o nível de envelhecimento da liga; 2) Em um segundo momento foi desenvolvido um processo de otimização de sensores através de modelagem por elementos finitos (MEF). Através de uma metodologia de otimização, os parâmetros de construção e operação de um sensor foram otimizados para inspeção de defeitos superficiais e subsuperficiais esperados em materiais cladeados com Inconel 625. O sensor com a geometria ótima foi construído e testado a fim de verificar a eficiência do processo de otimização. Uma ótima correlação entre os resultados numéricos e experimentais foi encontrada e o sensor ótimo se mostrou eficiente na inspeção de pequenos defeitos superficiais e subsuperficiais na liga Inconel 625 quando operado nas frequências apropriadas. / Nickel-based superalloys have been extensively used in various industries due to its unique mechanical and corrosion behavior. However, these alloys show particular characteristics which lead to the need for specific inspection and metallurgical characterization techniques in order to ensure the structural integrity of components manufactured from these alloys. In this work , the eddy current technique was applied to nickel-base superalloys with two aims: 1 ) Firstly, the microstructural evolution of Inconel 718 during aging processes has been studied through a combination of eddy current testing, X-ray diffraction analysis, metallography, hardness and grain size measurements. Measurements were carried out in samples subjected to different heat treatment cycles between 620-1035°C. Results show that different microstructures of Inconel 718 have a distinguishable effect on electrical conductivity when this is measured through an appropriately sensitive technique (i.e. eddy current testing). The influence of microstructure on conductivity could be shown to be due to the competition between two effects on the scattering of electrons: matrix purification and precipitate size, distribution and morphology. A combination of hardness values and electrical properties proved to be a fast and practical way of determining the stage of aging of the alloy; 2) An optimization method of eddy current sensor design was developed through finite element modeling (FEM). Through a methodology of optimization, the construction and operation parameters of the sensor were optimized for inspection of superficial and subsuperficial defect, commonly found in weld overlay Inconel 625 claddings. A prototype of this sensor with the optimum geometry was built and tested on blocks identical to those considered in the models in order to verify the efficiency of the optimization process. A very good agreement between numerical and experimental results was found. Moreover, the optimal sensor was efficient to detect small surface and subsurface defects in Inconel 625 when operated at appropriate frequencies.

abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) describes an array of methods used to create a 3D object layer by layer. The increasing popularity of AM in the past decade has been due to its demonstrated potential to increase design flexibility, produce rapid prototypes, and decrease material waste. Temporary supports are an inconvenient necessity in many metal AM parts. These sacrificial structures are used to fabricate large overhangs, anchor the part to the build substrate, and provide a heat pathway to avoid warping. Polymers AM has addressed this issue by using support material that is soluble in an electrolyte that the base material is not. In contrast, metals AM has traditionally approached support removal using time consuming, costly methods such as electrical discharge machining or a dremel. This work introduces dissolvable supports to single- and multi-material metals AM. The multi-material approach uses material choice to design a functionally graded material where corrosion is the functionality being varied. The single-material approach is the primary focus of this thesis, leveraging already common post-print heat treatments to locally alter the microstructure near the surface. By including a sensitizing agent in the ageing heat treatment, carbon is diffused into the part decreasing the corrosion resistance to a depth equal to at least half the support thickness. In a properly chosen electrolyte, this layer is easily chemically, or electrochemically removed. Stainless steel 316 (SS316) and Inconel 718 are both investigated to study this process using two popular alloys. The microstructure evolution and corrosion properties are investigated for both. For SS316, the effect of applied electrochemical potential is investigated to describe the varying corrosion phenomena induced, and the effect of potential choice on resultant roughness. In summary, a new approach to remove supports from metal AM parts is introduced to decrease costs and further the field of metals AM by expanding the design space. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Mechanical Engineering 2018

Les motoristes aéronautiques doivent répondre à de nouvelles demandes de certifications en tolérance aux dommages. Ils doivent en particulier démontrer que la présence de petites anomalies de surface, pouvant être introduites lors d’opérations de maintenance, ne mène pas à la rupture des pièces les plus critiques de leurs moteurs. Cette étude concerne la caractérisation de la nocivité d’anomalies de surface de type rayure et choc sur la tenue en fatigue du superalliage à base Nickel Inconel 718 sous sa version Direct Aged. Une campagne d’essais expérimentaux a permis d’évaluer l’influence de la contrainte maximale, de la température, du type et de la profondeur des anomalies de surface sur leur durée de vie en fatigue. Une étude expérimentale et numérique approfondie de la méthode de suivi de la différence de potentiel a conduit à une bonne maîtrise de cet outil de détection de l’amorçage et de suivi de la fissuration. Son utilisation a ainsi révélé que l’amorçage de fissure est très rapide à partir de rayures et de chocs mais que la vitesse de propagation dans les premiers stades de fissuration est ralentie. Des essais spécifiques ont alors été développés pour identifier la source physique des phénomènes observés. L’utilisation d’un traitement thermique a notamment permis de mettre en avant l’influence prédominante des contraintes résiduelles de compression générées lors de l’introduction des anomalies. Différentes méthodes expérimentales et numériques ont été testées pour les quantifier et des pistes de modélisations ont été mises en avant pour prédire de manière fiable la durée de vie en fatigue d’anomalies de surface de type rayure et choc. / Aircraft engine manufacturers have to meet with new certification requirements in damage tolerance. In particular they have to demonstrate that the presence of small surface anomalies introduced on engine parts during maintenance operations in critical areas do not lead to failure during service life. This study was undertaken to characterize the harmfulness of scratch and dent type surface anomalies on the fatigue life of the Nickel based superalloy Direct Aged Inconel 718.The influence of maximal stress, temperature, type and depth of surface anomalies was evaluated in a large series of experiments. An experimental and numerical in-depth study of the potential drop technique led to a good control of this tool and allowed to efficiently detect crack initiation and to measure the crack propagation. Indeed, the use of this technique has revealed that the crack initiation from scratches and dents is very rapid but that the first stages of crack growth are delayed.Specific tests were then performed to identify the physical origin of the observed phenomenon. A heat treatment was used to show that the compressive residual stresses created during the introduction process of surface anomalies have a great influence on the fatigue life. Different experimental and numerical techniques were used to quantify these residual stresses and some directions were identified to establish a new model able to predict the fatigue life of scratch and dent type surface anomalies.

The selective laser sintering (SLS) process or the additive manufacturing (AM) enables the construction of a three-dimensional object through melting and solidification of metal powder. The primary advantage of AM over the conventional process is providing the manufacturing flexibility, especially for highly complicated products. The quality of AM products depends upon various processing parameters such as laser power, laser scanning velocity, laser scanning pattern, layer thickness, and hatch spacing. The improper selection of these parameters would lead to parts with defects, severe distortion, and even cracking. I herein perform the numerical and experimental analysis to investigate the interplay between processing parameters and the defect generation. The analysis aims to resolve issues at two different scales, micro-scale and product-scale. At the micro-scale, while the numerical model is developed to investigate the interaction of the laser and materials in the AM process, its advantages and disadvantages compared to an analytical approach (Rosenthal’s equation), which provides a quicker thermal solution, are thoroughly studied. Additionally, numerical results have been verified by series of experiments. Based on the analysis, it is found that the simultaneous consideration of multiple processing parameters could be achieved using the energy density. Moreover, together with existing criteria, a processing window is numerically developed as a guideline for AM users to avoid common defects at this scale including the lack of fusion, balling effect, and over-melting. Thermal results at a micro-scale are extended as an input to determine the residual stress initiation in AM products. The effect of energy density and substrate temperature on a residual stress magnitude is explored. Results show that the stress magnitude within a layer is a strong function of the substrate temperature, where a higher substrate temperature results in a lower stress. Moreover, the stress formation due to a layer’s addition is studied, in which the stress relaxation at locations away from a top surface is observed. Nevertheless, even though the micro-scale analysis can resolve some common defects in AM, it is not capable of predicting product-scale responses such as residual stress development and entire product’s distortion. As a result, the multiscale modeling platform is developed for the numerical investigation at the product level. Three thermal models at various scales are interactively used to yield an effective thermal development calculation at a product-scale. In addition, the influence of the multiple layers, energy densities and scanning patterns on the residual stress formation has been addressed, which leads to the prediction of the residual stress development during the fabrication. The distortion of products due to the residual stress can be described by the product-scale model. Furthermore, among many processing parameters, the energy input and the scanning length are found to be important factors, which could be controlled to achieve the residual stress reduction in AM products. An optimal choice of a scanning length and energy input can reduce an as-built residual stress magnitude by almost half of typically encountered values. Ultimately, the present work aims to illustrate the integration of the computational method as tools to provide manufacturing qualification for part production by the AM process.

The challenges in the deposition of dissimilar materials are mainly related to the large differences in the physical and chemical properties of the deposited and substrate materials. These differences readily cause residual stresses and intermetallic phases. This has led to the development of functionally graded materials which exhibit spatial variation in composition. Laser direct metal deposition due to its flexibility, it offers wide variety of dissimilar and functionally graded materials deposition. Despite considerable advances in process optimization, there is a rather limited understanding of the role of metallurgical factors in the laser deposition of dissimilar and functionally graded alloys. The aim of this work is to understand and explain mechanisms occurring in diode laser deposition of dissimilar materials and functionally graded materials. The first part of this work addressed diode laser deposition of Inconel 718 nickel alloy to Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. Here, the effect of laser pulse parameters and powder mass flow rates on the stress formation and cracking has evaluated by experiment and numerical techniques. Results showed that the clad thickness was an important factor affecting the cracking behaviour. In the second part of this study, an image analysis technique has been developed to measure the surface disturbance and the melt pool cross section size during laser direct metal deposition of Inconel 718 on a Ti-6Al-4V thin wall. It was noted that under tested conditions the overall melt pool area increased with the increase in powder flow rate; the powder carrier gas flow rates also seemed to play important roles in determining the melt pool size. In the third part of this study, a parametric study on the development of Inconel 718 and Stainless steel 316L continuously graded structure has been carried out. Results suggested that microstructure and other mechanical properties can be selectively controlled across the deposited wall. The results presented in this dissertation can be used as a metallurgical basis for further development of dissimilar and functionally graded manufacturing using LDMD technique, guiding future manufacturing engineers to produce structurally sound and microstructurally desirable laser deposited samples.

Superligas à base de níquel vêm sendo extensivamente utilizadas em diversas aplicações nas indústrias devido ao excelente comportamento mecânico e anticorrosivo. No entanto, essas ligas possuem certas particularidades que levam à necessidade de desenvolvimento de técnicas de inspeção e caracterização metalúrgica, como forma de garantir a integridade estrutural dos componentes fabricados com essas ligas. Neste trabalho, a técnica de correntes parasitas foi aplicada à superligas à base de níquel com duas propostas distintas: 1) Em um primeiro momento foi realizado o estudo da evolução microestrutural da liga Inconel 718 durante o processo de envelhecimento através da combinação do ensaio por correntes parasitas, análise de difração de raios-X, análise metalográfica, medidas de dureza e tamanho de grão. As medidas foram realizadas em amostras submetidas a diferentes ciclos de tratamentos térmicos variando entre 620-1035°C. Os resultados mostraram que as diferentes microestruturas do Inconel 718 têm efeitos distintos na condutividade elétrica quando medidos através da técnica de correntes parasitas. A influência da microestrutura na condutividade pode ser mostrada sendo devido à competição de dois efeitos sobre o espalhamento de elétrons: a purificação da matriz e a morfologia, distribuição e tamanho dos precipitados. A combinação dos valores de dureza e condutividade elétrica provou ser uma forma rápida e prática de determinar o nível de envelhecimento da liga; 2) Em um segundo momento foi desenvolvido um processo de otimização de sensores através de modelagem por elementos finitos (MEF). Através de uma metodologia de otimização, os parâmetros de construção e operação de um sensor foram otimizados para inspeção de defeitos superficiais e subsuperficiais esperados em materiais cladeados com Inconel 625. O sensor com a geometria ótima foi construído e testado a fim de verificar a eficiência do processo de otimização. Uma ótima correlação entre os resultados numéricos e experimentais foi encontrada e o sensor ótimo se mostrou eficiente na inspeção de pequenos defeitos superficiais e subsuperficiais na liga Inconel 625 quando operado nas frequências apropriadas. / Nickel-based superalloys have been extensively used in various industries due to its unique mechanical and corrosion behavior. However, these alloys show particular characteristics which lead to the need for specific inspection and metallurgical characterization techniques in order to ensure the structural integrity of components manufactured from these alloys. In this work , the eddy current technique was applied to nickel-base superalloys with two aims: 1 ) Firstly, the microstructural evolution of Inconel 718 during aging processes has been studied through a combination of eddy current testing, X-ray diffraction analysis, metallography, hardness and grain size measurements. Measurements were carried out in samples subjected to different heat treatment cycles between 620-1035°C. Results show that different microstructures of Inconel 718 have a distinguishable effect on electrical conductivity when this is measured through an appropriately sensitive technique (i.e. eddy current testing). The influence of microstructure on conductivity could be shown to be due to the competition between two effects on the scattering of electrons: matrix purification and precipitate size, distribution and morphology. A combination of hardness values and electrical properties proved to be a fast and practical way of determining the stage of aging of the alloy; 2) An optimization method of eddy current sensor design was developed through finite element modeling (FEM). Through a methodology of optimization, the construction and operation parameters of the sensor were optimized for inspection of superficial and subsuperficial defect, commonly found in weld overlay Inconel 625 claddings. A prototype of this sensor with the optimum geometry was built and tested on blocks identical to those considered in the models in order to verify the efficiency of the optimization process. A very good agreement between numerical and experimental results was found. Moreover, the optimal sensor was efficient to detect small surface and subsurface defects in Inconel 625 when operated at appropriate frequencies.

Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing is a production method that utilises repeated addition of layers in order to produce a final shape. AM utilises less raw material and does not have drawbacks such as tool wear and material wastage as seen in conventional machining. However, they do have drawbacks such as poor surface and internal defects.  A common practice in AM is the fabrication of contour and bulk region using separate parameters.  The aim of this project was to study the effects of various process parameters on the contour properties. The process parameters considered were scanning speed, beam current and focus offset. The Nickel alloy Inconel 718 was utilised in Electron Beam Melting (EBM) to fabricate the test specimen. The samples used in this project were in an as-built condition which was priorly subjected to tensile testing for a different project. The tests performed in this project are hardness testing and microstructural investigation about grains, precipitates and the various defects.  The test results helped to understand the effect of various process parameters on the hardness and microstructure of the samples. The samples with lower scanning speed had higher hardness and lesser lack of fusion than samples with higher speed. In the case of varying beam current, the samples with higher beam current had higher hardness values and fewer lack of fusions. Similarly, the effects of varying two or more process parameters were also studied and their findings recorded. The microstructure consisted of a large number of shrinkage porosities in the bulk and contour regions. The presence of Niobium rich precipitates at grain boundaries and the grain structure for various process parameters were identified and recorded.

Finite element models of friction welding can be used to estimate internal conditions of welds which are useful for weld analysis and developing experimental welding procedures. Many modeling techniques are used to accomplish these goals, each with relative strengths and weaknesses. A comparative analysis of friction welding models using different heat generation methods is presented. The three different heat generation methods examined were viscoplastic friction, constant steady-state generation, and experimentally measured power data. The models were compared against each other using three output measurements: temperature, axial force, and upset. The friction model predicted temperatures within 40 degrees C. Temperature accuracy improved at a higher upset rate and higher spindle speed, when weld samples heated up faster. The model was excellent at predicting upset, with accuracy within 1.5%. Maximum force was predicted within 9-18%. The constant heat generation model typically predicted temperatures within 30 degrees C. Upset was estimated within 7%. Maximum force was predicted within 12% at high feed rates, but accuracy dropped to 28% when feed rate was reduced. The motor power model was the most accurate model at estimating temperature, with a typical accuracy within 25 degrees C. Axial upset was predicted within 5%. Maximum force was predicted within 1-8%, with greater accuracy occurring at higher feed rates.