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Understanding the effect of low melting-point phases and homogenization annealing on the liquation cracks formation in the Al-Cu binary system during laser melting process

Materials Letters • 2022
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Publication Information
Authors Asmaa M. Khalil, Muhammad Ibrahim, A.N. Solonin
Keywords Not Available
Journal Materials Letters
Publisher Elsevier
Volume Not Available
Issue Not Available
Pages Not Available
publication.type International
Paper Link Open Link
Supplementary Materials Not Available
Abstract
The alloy design is vital mission for eliminating the laser melting and additive manufacturing technologies defects. The low melting-point phases around the grain boundaries are considered as a source of the liquation cracks formation during laser melting process (LMP). In this work, a simple Al-Cu binary alloy with different Cu concentrations was selected as a model to understand the relation between low-melting point phases and liquation cracks formation during the LMP. In cast samples, most Al2Cu (θ phases) precipitate at the α-Al grain boundaries and during the LMP, the liquation cracks in the laser-melted zone (LMZ) initiated at the grain boundaries and propagated along the LMZ. Thus, homogenization annealing pre-laser melting at various times was done. The results showed that the cast Al-3.5Cu revealed high cracks susceptibility in the LMZ due to the presence of high amount of θ phases and during homogenization annealing the phases dissolved and the number of cracks significantly decreased. No cracks were formed in Al-7.5Cu at the cast and homogenized conditions due to the presence of many equilibrium eutectic θ phases, which heals the cracks (backfilling) during the solidification after the LMP. Liquation cracks susceptibility can be controlled by homogenization annealing.