Localized Preheating Approaches for Reducing Residual Stress in Additive Manufacturing

Uniform preheating can be used to limit residual stress in the solid freeform fabrication of relatively small parts. However, in additive manufacturing processes, where a feature is deposited onto a much larger part, uniform preheating of the entire assembly is typically not practical. This paper considers localized preheating to reduce residual stresses, building on previous work using a defined thermal gradient through the part depth as a metric for predicting maximum final residual stress. The building of thinwalled structures is considered. Two types of localized preheating approaches are compared, appropriate for use in laser- or electron beam-based additive manufacturing processes. In evaluating the effectiveness of each approach, a simplified thermomechanical model is used that can be related directly to analytical thermomechanical models for thermal stresses in unconstrained thin plates. Results are presented showing that one of the methods yields temperature profiles likely to yield reduced residual stresses at room temperature. Mechanical model results confirm this, showing a significant reduction in maximum stress values. A more complete thermomechanical simulation of thin wall fabrication is used to verify the trends seen in the simplified model results.Mechanical Engineerin

Separation of crack extension modes in composite delamination problems

This work concerns fracture mechanics modeling of composite delamination problems. In order to predict delamination resistance, an applied stress intensity factor, K, or energy release rate, G, must be compared to a mode-dependent critical value of K or G from experiment. In the interfacial fracture analysis of most applications and some tests, the mode of crack extension is not uniquely defined. It is instead a function of distance from the crack tip due to the oscillating singularity existing at the tip. In this work, a consistent method is presented of extracting crack extension modes in such cases. In particular, use of the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) to extract modes of crack extension is studied for cases of a crack along the interface between two in-plane orthotropic materials. Modes of crack extension extracted from oscillatory analyses using VCCT are a function of the virtual crack extension length, delta. Most existing efforts to obtain delta-independent modes of crack extension involve changing the analysis in order to eliminate its oscillatory nature. One such method involves changing one or more properties of the layers to make the oscillatory exponent parameter, epsilon, equal zero. Standardized application of this method would require consistent criteria for identifying which properties can be altered without changing the physical aspects of the problem. Another method involves inserting a thin homogeneous layer (typically referred to as a resin interlayer) along the interface and placing the crack within it. The drawbacks of this method are that it requires increased modeling effort and introduces the thickness of the interlayer as an additional length parameter. The approach presented here does not attempt to alter the interfacial fracture analysis to eliminate its oscillatory behavior. Instead, the argument is made that the oscillatory behavior is non-physical and that if its effects were separated from VCCT quantities, then consistent, delta-independent modes of crack extension could be defined. Knowledge of the near-tip fields in a planar orthotropic material interfacial fracture analysis is used to determine the explicit delta dependence of VCCT parameters. Once this delta dependence is determined, energy release rates are defined with this delta dependence factored out. This modified VCCT method is applied to results from two finite element test cases. It is shown that, as predicted, delta-independent modes of crack extension result. The modified VCCT approach shows potential as a consistent method of extracting crack extension modes. It uses the same information from a finite element analysis (i.e., nodal forces and displacements) as the traditional VCCT method does. The A-independent modes extracted using the modified VCCT approach can also be used as guides to test the convergence of finite element solutions

Separation of crack extension modes in orthotropic delamination models

In the analysis of an interface crack between dissimilar elastic materials, the mode of crack extension is typically not unique, due to oscillatory behavior of near-tip stresses and displacements. This behavior currently limits the applicability of interfacial fracture mechanics as a means to predict composite delamination. The Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) is a method used to extract mode 1 and mode 2 energy release rates from numerical fracture solutions. The mode of crack extension extracted from an oscillatory solution using the VCCT is not unique due to the dependence of mode on the virtual crack extension length, Delta. In this work, a method is presented for using the VCCT to extract Delta-independent crack extension modes for the case of an interface crack between two in-plane orthotropic materials. The method does not involve altering the analysis to eliminate its oscillatory behavior. Instead, it is argued that physically reasonable, Delta-independent modes of crack extension can be extracted from oscillatory solutions. Knowledge of near-tip fields is used to determine the explicit Delta dependence of energy release rate parameters. Energy release rates are then defined that are separated from the oscillatory dependence on Delta. A modified VCCT using these energy release rate definitions is applied to results from finite element analyses, showing that Delta-independent modes of crack extension result. The modified technique has potential as a consistent method for extracting crack extension modes from numerical solutions. The Delta-independent modes extracted using this technique can also serve as guides for testing the convergence of finite element models. Direct applications of this work include the analysis of planar composite delamination problems, where plies or debonded laminates are modeled as in-plane orthotropic materials

An analytical and experimental study of crack extension in center-notched composites

The normal stress ratio theory for crack extension in anisotropic materials is studied analytically and experimentally. The theory is applied within a microscopic-level analysis of a single center notch of arbitrary orientation in a unidirectional composite material. The bulk of the analytical work of this study applies an elasticity solution for an infinite plate with a center line to obtain critical stress and crack growth direction predictions. An elasticity solution for an infinite plate with a center elliptical flaw is also used to obtain qualitative predictions of the location of crack initiation on the border of a rounded notch tip. The analytical portion of the study includes the formulation of a new crack growth theory that includes local shear stress. Normal stress ratio theory predictions are obtained for notched unidirectional tensile coupons and unidirectional Iosipescu shear specimens. These predictions are subsequently compared to experimental results

Transient Changes in Melt Pool Size in Laser Additive Manufacturing Processes

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Scaling Effects in Laser-Based Additive Manufacturing Processes

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Melt Pool Size and Stress Control for Laser-Based Deposition Near a Free Edge

Thermomechanical models developed in this research address two experimental observations made during the deposition of thin-walled structures by the LENSTM process. The first observation (via thermal imaging) is of substantial increases in melt pool size as a vertical free edge is approached under conditions of constant laser power and velocity. The second observation (via neutron diffraction) is of large tensile stresses in the vertical direction at vertical free edges, after deposition is completed and the wall is allowed to cool to room temperature. At issue is how to best control melt pool size as a free edge is approached and whether such control will also reduce observed free edge stresses. Thermomechanical model results are presented which demonstrate that power reduction curves suggested by process maps for melt pool size under steady-state conditions can be effective in controlling melt pool size as a free edge is approached. However, to achieve optimal results it is important that power reductions be initiated before increases in melt pool size are observed. Stress simulations indicate that control of melt pool size can reduce free-edge stresses; however, the primary cause of these stresses is a constraint effect which is independent of melt pool size.This research was supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Design, Manufacture and Industrial Innovation, through the Materials Processing and Manufacturing Program, award number DMI-0200270.Mechanical Engineerin

Limits of dispersoid size and number density in oxide dispersion strengthened alloys fabricated with powder bed fusion-laser beam

Previous work on additively-manufactured oxide dispersion strengthened alloys focused on experimental approaches, resulting in larger dispersoid sizes and lower number densities than can be achieved with conventional powder metallurgy. To improve the as-fabricated microstructure, this work integrates experiments with a thermodynamic and kinetic modeling framework to probe the limits of the dispersoid sizes and number densities that can be achieved with powder bed fusion-laser beam. Bulk samples of a Ni-20Cr $+$ 1 wt.\% Y$_2$O$_3$ alloy are fabricated using a range of laser power and scanning velocity combinations. Scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization is performed to quantify the dispersoid size distributions across the processing space. The smallest mean dispersoid diameter (29 nm) is observed at 300 W and 1200 mm/s, with a number density of 1.0$\times$10$^{20}$ m$^{-3}$. The largest mean diameter (72 nm) is observed at 200 W and 200 mm/s, with a number density of 1.5$\times$10$^{19}$ m$^{-3}$. Scanning electron microscopy suggests that a considerable fraction of the oxide added to the feedstock is lost during processing, due to oxide agglomeration and the ejection of oxide-rich spatter from the melt pool. After accounting for these losses, the model predictions for the dispersoid diameter and number density align with the experimental trends. The results suggest that the mechanism that limits the final number density is collision coarsening of dispersoids in the melt pool. The modeling framework is leveraged to propose processing strategies to limit dispersoid size and increase number density.Comment: Main text: 36 pages, 12 figure

Isolation of a Glucosamine Binding Leguminous Lectin with Mitogenic Activity towards Splenocytes and Anti-Proliferative Activity towards Tumor Cells

A dimeric 64-kDa glucosamine-specific lectin was purified from seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris cv. “brown kidney bean.” The simple 2-step purification protocol involved affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel and gel filtration by FPLC on Superdex 75. The lectin was absorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and desorbed using 1M NaCl in the starting buffer. Gel filtration on Superdex 75 yielded a major absorbance peak that gave a single 32-kDa band in SDS-PAGE. Hemagglutinating activity was completely preserved when the ambient temperature was in the range of 20°C–60°C. However, drastic reduction of the activity occurred at temperatures above 65°C. Full hemagglutinating activity of the lectin was observed at an ambient pH of 3 to 12. About 50% activity remained at pH 0–2, and only residual activity was observed at pH 13–14. Hemagglutinating activity of the lectin was inhibited by glucosamine. The brown kidney bean lectin elicited maximum mitogenic activity toward murine splenocytes at 2.5 µM. The mitogenic activity was nearly completely eliminated in the presence of 250 mM glucosamine. The lectin also increased mRNA expression of the cytokines IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ. The lectin exhibited antiproliferative activity toward human breast cancer (MCF7) cells, hepatoma (HepG2) cells and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (CNE1 and CNE2) cells with IC50 of 5.12 µM, 32.85 µM, 3.12 µM and 40.12 µM respectively after treatment for 24 hours. Flow cytometry with Annexin V and propidum iodide staining indicated apoptosis of MCF7 cells. Hoechst 33342 staining also indicated formation of apoptotic bodies in MCF7 cells after exposure to brown kidney bean lectin. Western blotting revealed that the lectin-induced apoptosis involved ER stress and unfolded protein response

Controlling Melt Pool Dimensions Over a Wide Range of Material Deposition Rates in Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

Electron beam-based additive manufacturing processes are being seriously considered for manufacturing and repair applications in the aerospace industry. To be successful, these processes must work over a wide range of material deposition rates to combine affordability (requiring high deposition rates) with the ability to precisely deposit fine geometries (requiring low deposition rates). Melt pool size and shape are key characteristics to control in these processes. Control of melt pool dimensions will greatly increase the ability to successfully build shapes, and may play an important role in controlling solidification microstructure. In this paper, we present an analytically-guided approach for maintaining melt pool cross sectional area and thermal finite element simulation results are presented over a wide power range (1-5kW) to evaluate the approach. Single bead finite element simulations include the effects of temperature-dependent properties, latent heat, material addition and the distribution of power by a rapidly moving beam. Experiments were carried out on electron beam deposition equipment at NASA Langley Research Center and results show the same trends as those seen in the models. Ultimately, a map of curves of constant melt pool cross sectional areas and length-to-depth ratios is presented, covering power and velocity ranges over roughly a factor of 5.Mechanical Engineerin