• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.220-225
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• 2024

Molten salt reactors represent a promising advancement in nuclear technology due to their potential for enhanced safety, higher efficiency, and reduced nuclear waste. However, the development of structural materials that can survive under severe corrosion environments is crucial. In the present work, pure Ni was deposited on the surface of 316H stainless steel using a directed energy deposition (DED) process. This study aimed to fabricate pure Ni alloy layers on an STS316H alloy substrate. It was observed that low laser power during the deposition of pure Ni on the STS316H substrate could induce stacking defects such as surface irregularities and internal voids, which were confirmed through photographic and SEM analyses. Additionally, the diffusion of Fe and Cr elements from the STS316H substrate into the Ni layers was observed to decrease with increasing Ni deposition height. Analysis of the composition of Cr and Fe components within the Ni deposition structures allows for the prediction of properties such as the corrosion resistance of Ni.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.152-162
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• 2024

The directed energy deposited (DED) alloys show higher hardness values than the welded alloys due to the finer microstructure following the high cooling rate. However, defects such as microcracks, pores, and the residual stress are remained within the DED alloy. These defects deteriorate the wear behavior so post-processing such as heat treatment and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) are applied to DED alloys to reduce the defects. HIP was chosen in this study because the high pressure and temperature uniformly reduced the defects. The HIP is processed at 1150℃ under 100 MPa for 4 hours. After HIP, microcracks are disappeared and porosity is reduced by 86.9%. Carbides are spherodized due to the interdiffusion of Cr and C between the dendrite and interdendrite region. After HIP, the nanohardness (GPa) of carbides increased from 11.1 to 12, and the Co matrix decreased from 8.8 to 7.9. Vickers hardness (HV) decreased by 18.9 % after HIP. The dislocation density (10^-2/m²) decreased from 7.34 to 0.34 and the residual stress (MPa) changed from tensile 79 to a compressive -246 by HIP. This study indicates that HIP is effective in reducing defects, and the HIP DED Stellite 6 exhibits a higher HV than welded Stellite 6.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2020

The directed energy deposition (DED) process of metal 3D printing technologies has been treated as an effective method for welding, repairing, and even 3-dimensional building of machinery parts. In this study, stainless steel 316L (STS316L) and Inconel 625 (IN625) alloy powders are additively manufactured using the DED process, and the microstructure of the fabricated STS316L/IN625 sample is investigated. In particular, there are no secondary phases in the interface between STS316L and the IN625 alloy. The EDS and Vickers hardness results clearly show compositionally and mechanically transient layers a few tens of micrometers in thickness. Interestingly, several cracks are only observed in the STS 316L rather than in the IN625 alloy near the interface. In addition, small-sized voids 200-400 nm in diameter that look like trapped pores are present in both materials. The cracks present near the interface are formed by tensile stress in STS316L caused by the difference in the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) between the two materials during the DED process. These results can provide fundamental information for the fabrication of machinery parts that require joining of two materials, such as valves.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.262-267
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• 2023

Boron carbide (B₄C) is highly significant in the production of lightweight protective materials when added to aluminum owing to its exceptional mechanical properties. In this study, a method for fabricating Al-B₄C composites using high-energy ball milling and directed energy deposition (DED) is presented. Al-4 wt.% B4C composites were fabricated under 21 different laser conditions to analyze the microstructure and mechanical properties at different values of laser power and scan speeds. The composites fabricated at a laser power of 600 W and the same scan speed exhibited the highest hardness and generated the fewest pores. In contrast, the composites fabricated at a laser power of 1000 W exhibited the lowest hardness and generated a significant number of large pores. This can be explained by the influence of the microstructure on the energy density at different values of laser power.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1-10
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• 2021

Recently, the repair and recycling of damaged mechanical parts via metal additive manufacturing processes have been industrial points of interest. This is because the repair and recycling of damaged mechanical parts can reduce energy and resource consumption. The directed energy deposition(DED) process has various advantages such as the possibility of selective deposition, large building space, and a small heat-affected zone. Hence, it is a suitable process for repairing damaged mechanical parts. The shaft is a core component of various mechanical systems. Although there is a high demand for the repair of the shaft, it is difficult to repair with traditional welding processes because of the thermal deformation problem. The objective of this study is to propose a repair procedure for a damaged shaft using the DED process and discuss its applications. Three types of cases, including a small shaft with a damaged surface, a medium-size shaft with a worn bearing joint, and a large shaft with serious damage, were repaired using the proposed procedure. The microstructure and hardness were examined to discuss the characteristics of the repaired component. The efficiency of the repair of the damaged shaft is also discussed.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.258-266
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to evaluate corrosion resistance of additive manufactured 316L stainless steel and alloy 625 powders widely used in corrosion resistance alloys of marine industry in comparison with cast alloys. Directed Energy Deposition (DED) method was used in this work for sample production. DED parameter adjustment was also studied for optimum manufacturing and for minimizing the influence of defects on corrosion property. Additive manufactured alloys showed lower corrosion resistance in seawater compared to cast alloys. The reason for the degradation of anti-corrosion property was speculated to be due to loss of microstructural integrity intrinsic to the additive manufacturing process. Application of heat treatment with various conditions after DED was attempted. The effect of heat treatments was analyzed with a microstructure study. It was found that 316L and alloy 625 produced by the DED process could recover their expected corrosion resistance when heat treated at 1200 ℃.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.91-97
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• 2022

The Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is a representative metal additive manufacturing method. Owing to its strong point of repairment, its application is gradually spreading in aerospace applications, power generation, military components, and mold making. 5-axis cladding is needed to repair damage, such as wear and scratches on cylindrical surfaces to circular-shaped parts, including sleeves and liners. Furthermore, the condition of cladding on inclined parts must also be considered to prevent interference between the nozzle and the part. In this study, the effects of changes in scanning speed due to the 5-axis control system and differences from the height of laser beam irradiation due to inclination are evaluated among the items that should be additionally considered in 5-axis cladding compared to 3-axis cladding. Moreover, the trends of the width and height of the clad are identified by different tilting angles via single line cladding. Lastly, cladding methods on cylindrical surfaces at various angles are proposed to enhance the clad quality and post-processing efficacy. These results can be applied with 5-axis cladding on inclined surfaces, including cylindrical surfaces.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.309-313
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• 2022

In this study, additive manufacturing of a functionally graded material (FGM) as an alternative to joining dissimilar metals is investigated using directed energy deposition (DED). FGM consists of five different layers, which are mixtures of austenitic stainless steel (type 316 L) and low-alloy steel (LAS, ferritic steel) at ratios of 100:0 (A layer), 75:25 (B layer), 50:50 (C layer), 25:75 (D layer), and 0:100 (E layer), respectively, in each deposition layer. The FGM samples are successfully fabricated without cracks or delamination using the DED method, and specimens are characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy to monitor their microstructures. In layers C and D of the sample, the tensile strength is determined to be very high owing to the formation of ferrite and martensite structures. However, the elongation is high in layers A and B, which contain a large fraction of austenite.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.129-135
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• 2021

Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) technology such as powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) are actively attempted as consumers' needs for parts with complex shapes and expensive materials. In the present work, the effect of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel coupons fabricated by PBF and DED AM technology was investigated. Three major mechanical tests, including tension, impact, and fatigue, were performed on coupons extracted from the standard components at angles of 0, 45, 90 degrees for the build layers, and compared with those of investment casting and commercial wrought products. Austenitic 316L stainless steel additively manufactured have been well known to be generally stronger but highly vulnerable to impact and lack in elongation compared to casting and wrought materials. The process-induced pore density has been proved the most critical factor in determining the mechanical properties of AM-built metal parts. Therefore, it was strongly recommended to reduce those lack of fusion defects as much as possible by carefully control the energy density of the laser. For example, under the high energy density conditions, PBF-built parts showed 46% higher tensile strength but more than 75% lower impact strength than the wrought products. However, by optimizing the energy density of the laser of the metal AM system, it has been confirmed that it is possible to manufacture metal parts that can satisfy both strength and ductility, and thus it is expected to be actively applied in the field of electric power section soon.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.220-225
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• 2018

The microstructure and mechanical characteristics of SUS630 specimens fabricated using the direct energy deposition (DED) process are investigated. In DED, several process parameters such as laser scan speed, chamber gas flow, powder carrier gas flow, and powder feed rate are kept fixed; the laser power is changed as 150 W, 180 W, and 210 W. As the laser power increases, the surface becomes smooth, the thickness uniformity improves, and the size and number of pores decreases. With the increase in laser power, the hardness deviation decreases and the average hardness increases. The microstructure of the material is columnar; pores are formed preferentially along the columnar interface. The lath-martensite phase governs the overall microstructure. The volumetric fraction of the retained austenite phase is measured to increase with the increase of laser input power.