Correlation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing

Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing (MBAAM) is a novel wire-arc additive manufacturing method that uses a correction-based approach developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This approach is an integrated software method that minimizes the dynamic nature of welding and compensates for build height. The MBAAM process is used to fabricate simple geometry thin walled specimens, using a C-Mn steel weld wire, to investigate the scatter in mechanical properties and correlate them to the underlying microstructure. The uni-axial tensile tests show isotropic tensile and yield properties with respect to building directions, although some scatter in elongation is observed. Large scatter is observed in the Charpy Impact tests. The microstructure characterization reveals mostly homogenous ferrite grains with some pearlite, except for some changes in morphology and grain size at the interface between the build and the base plate. The measured properties and microstructure are compared with the toughness and strength values reported in the literature, and a hypothesis is developed to rationalize the differences. Overall, the MBAAM process creates stable, isotropic, and weld-like mechanical properties in the deposit, while achieving a precise geometry obtained through a real-time feedback sensing, closed loop control system.