Microstructural inhomogeneity of a 3D-printed nickel aluminium bronze

Abstract

Nickel aluminium bronze (NAB) is widely used in marine and offshore industries because of its outstanding properties, such as high strength, and excellent corrosion resistance. And 3D printing attracts substantial interest from both academic and industrial fields for its kinds of advantages, like the high forming freedom. However, microstructural inhomogeneity is induced due to the layer-by-layer manufacturing principle. This work focuses on the process parameter-microstructural inhomogeneity correlation, the effect of microstructural inhomogeneity on mechanical properties, and the deformation mechanisms in the inhomogeneous microstructure. Different printing speeds of 0.5,1 and 2m/min will be applied to prepare samples with inhomogeneous microstructure using laser metal deposition. And the microstructure will be characterized through transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope and Xray diffraction. Mechanical properties of the printed NAB samples will be evaluated through hardness test and tensile test. The deformation mechanisms in the different microstructures will be investigated. Finally, this study will provide a guideline to improve the mechanical performance of 3D printed NAB parts and fulfil the application requirement for the marine and offshore industry.