Microstructure evolution in AM produced superalloy thin struts at low plastic strain

This paper discusses the microstructures and textures that develop in thin struts fabricated in Inconel 718 using laser melting powder bed fusion. Thin struts 1 mm wide were fabricated in the vertical (ZX) and horizontal build (XY) orientations with respect to the build plate. Three distinct regions of well-defined grain structures with centerline symmetry from the outer border to the center of the inner volume were present, which was attributed to the laser scan strategy, consisting of a fill hatch, inner and outer border scan on each 30 μm layer. Using ex situ micro-tensile testing and enhanced Back-Scattered Electrons (BSE) and Electron Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD), the microstructure evolution to a plastic strain near 1%, in both the ZX and XY build direction was studied in the initial undeformed and final deformed states. For the ZX build direction, grain rotation as well as grain boundary migration was observed and was more significant than in the samples fabricated in XY. This paper discusses the evolution of the microstructure offering valuable insights into the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties in complex AM produced microstructures.