To investigate the microstructure and mechanical anisotropy of as-deposited GH3536 alloy specimens fabricated by Selective Laser Melting (SLM), this study combines experiments and numerical simulations. By optimizing the laser power, scanning speed, and scanning strategy, the optimal process parameters were determined: a volumetric energy density of 83.3 J/mm 3 and a 67° spiral scanning strategy. Transient heat conduction simulation using Abaqus showed that the extremely high temperature gradients and cooling rates during the SLM process induce fine cellular crystals and dislocation networks at the molten pool boundaries; columnar crystals grow along the Building Direction (BD), forming a texture in the Width Direction (WD) and a strong texture in the Thickness Direction (TD). The synergistic strengthening of dislocations and texture yields the highest strength along the thickness direction (TD), which possesses a higher molten pool boundary density. The tensile strength (TS) and yield strength (YS) reach 810 MPa and 572 MPa, and the tensile strength is 36% and 7.1% higher than those along the building direction (BD) and width direction (WD), respectively. This study clarifies the microstructural evolution and mechanical anisotropy of SLM-processed GH3536 alloy, providing a foundation for the subsequent optimization of forming processes and performance regulation.
Liu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.