Additive Manufacturing Heat Treatment Optimisation

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Back to Core Research Programme AMorph – 4D Printing for Field Morphing Structures Automation of Composite and Hybrid Joining Process Coaxial Wire Additive Manufacturing Processes and In-Line Monitoring Tools Development of Coded Excitation Technique for Non-Metallic Pipes Inspection Development of Digital Twin technology as a demonstrator for real-time integrity assessment of crack growth in tensile specimens Development of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) for Hydrogen Fuel Storage Tanks Development of Leak-Before-Break Hydrogen Storage Composite Pressure Vessels With Polymeric Liner Establishing Assessment Methods for Determining Safe Service Limits of High-Temperature Materials in Extreme Environments Fracture toughness in aggressive environments: effect of crack monitoring techniques on test results In-process detection and non-destructive testing of electron beam weld imperfections Internal Bore Coatings for Applications in Corrosion and Hydrogen Environment Joining of Additively Manufactured Materials Long term behaviour of polymeric liner materials/coatings in hydrogen service Techniques for High Temperature Ultrasonic Inspection of Arc Welding Ultimate Leverage Fund

Project Code: 34245

Start date and planned duration: February 2021, 24 months

Objectives

Improve the fundamental understanding of microstructure-property relationship for additively manufactured (AM) parts.
Develop a novel post-build thermal process that results in a standard set of mechanical properties usable by component designers.
Examine the effect of high temperature exposure on AM materials.
Understand the differences between wrought, cast and additively manufactured parts as a function of the specific heat treatments required for different manufacturing routes in order to obtain optimum mechanical properties.
Improve the mechanical properties of AM parts by optimising heat treatment processes.

Project Outline

This project replaces Project 32890, which was placed on hold in 2020 due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project will develop knowledge and expertise regarding the effect of post-build thermal processing on heat treatable AM materials. To achieve this, we will use standardised AM process parameters to manufacture samples that will then be subjected to different heat-treatments, followed by microstructural characterisation and mechanical testing. The work will quantify whether or not a sufficient level of benefit can be achieved via adjusting the post build heat treatment.

Based on industrial interest, the work will focus on post-build treatments for AM parts manufactured using titanium (e.g. Ti-6Al-4V) and nickel based super-alloys (e.g. Inconel 718). Sample manufacturing will use the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) method. Manufactured parts will be characterised using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) facilities to determine microstructural properties in detail and map chemical composition. Additionally, crystal structures, crystallographic orientation and phase identification will be characterised at a microscopic level by electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques as required.

Once standardised samples have been developed, post-build thermal processing will be undertaken by using a variety of heat treatment methods to stress relieve and potentially improve the properties of the parts. This may include high-temperature furnace treatment under vacuum or inert gas. Multi-step heat treatments and different heating and cooling rates will be investigated. Induction heating might also be tested in order to achieve very rapid heating.

Finally, mechanical testing (and other techniques, potentially including NDT and digital image correlation (DIC)) will be undertaken to provide a quantified method of measuring changes/improvements to material properties.

Industry Sectors

Power

Aerospace

Benefits to Industry

Industry will exploit the successful project results via a standardised set of post-build thermal treatments that will provide predictable material performance. This could potentially remove the need for qualification of individually built components, significantly reducing development costs and product lead times.

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