A New General Methodology to Create Continuous Cooling Transformation Diagrams for Materials Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a manufacturing method that can build high-strength materials layer-by-layer to form complex geometries. Previous studies have reported large variations in the mechanical properties of materials made by this process. One of the key factors that may contribute to variations within and among parts made by this process is a difference in the material’s microstructural phase and composition. A continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram is a useful tool that can be used with a thermal model for microstructure design and manufacturing process control. However, traditional CCT diagrams are developed based on slow and monotonic cooling processes such as furnace cooling and air cooling, which are greatly different from the repetitive heating and cooling processes in AM. In this study, a new general methodology is presented to create CCT diagrams for materials fabricated by AM. We showed that the effect of the segmented duration within the critical temperature range, which induced precipitate formation, could be cumulative. As multiple cooling processes occurred in a short time, and the temperature drops at a high cooling rate, a constant average cooling rate was assumed when constructing the CCT diagram. Inconel 718 parts fabricated by selective laser melting were analyzed. The accumulated duration required for γ′/γ″ precipitate formation was found to shift from at least 432 s to about 83.38 s. The large difference in the duration (around 518%) highlights the importance of creating CCT diagrams specifically for AM materials. The key factor contributing to phase transformation was identified as the accumulated duration within the critical temperature range. The presented methodology demonstrated the capability of combining a thermal model and experimental observation to quantitatively predict phase transformation and could be used to design microstructures and control AM processes.