On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion

This study uncovers new opportunities for microstructure engineering of AA6061 using pulsed lasers in powder bed fusion. Experimental analysis reveals that pulsed lasers allow for extensive control of grain sizes. Lower frequencies or duty cycles induce remelting cycles that promote finer grains and...

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Main Authors: Sivaji Karna, Lang Yuan, Tianyu Zhang, Andrew J. Gross, Daniel Morrall, Timothy Krentz, Dale Hitchcock
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-05-01
Series:Materials Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21663831.2025.2466782
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author Sivaji Karna
Lang Yuan
Tianyu Zhang
Andrew J. Gross
Daniel Morrall
Timothy Krentz
Dale Hitchcock
author_facet Sivaji Karna
Lang Yuan
Tianyu Zhang
Andrew J. Gross
Daniel Morrall
Timothy Krentz
Dale Hitchcock
author_sort Sivaji Karna
collection DOAJ
description This study uncovers new opportunities for microstructure engineering of AA6061 using pulsed lasers in powder bed fusion. Experimental analysis reveals that pulsed lasers allow for extensive control of grain sizes. Lower frequencies or duty cycles induce remelting cycles that promote finer grains and homogenized subgrain structures, while higher frequencies with high duty cycles sustain elevated temperatures, reducing cooling rates and resulting in coarser grains. Pulsing strategy is demonstrated as facile route for tailoring microstructure through enhanced control over solidification. These findings present an effective means in additive manufacturing by linking pulsed laser dynamics to microstructure evolution towards desired material properties.
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issn 2166-3831
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publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
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series Materials Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-019ece6a907246708bd272123df612b42025-08-20T01:56:42ZengTaylor & Francis GroupMaterials Research Letters2166-38312025-05-0113543944710.1080/21663831.2025.2466782On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusionSivaji Karna0Lang Yuan1Tianyu Zhang2Andrew J. Gross3Daniel Morrall4Timothy Krentz5Dale Hitchcock6Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USADepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USADepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USADepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USATritium Technology Division, Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, USATritium Technology Division, Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, USATritium Technology Division, Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, USAThis study uncovers new opportunities for microstructure engineering of AA6061 using pulsed lasers in powder bed fusion. Experimental analysis reveals that pulsed lasers allow for extensive control of grain sizes. Lower frequencies or duty cycles induce remelting cycles that promote finer grains and homogenized subgrain structures, while higher frequencies with high duty cycles sustain elevated temperatures, reducing cooling rates and resulting in coarser grains. Pulsing strategy is demonstrated as facile route for tailoring microstructure through enhanced control over solidification. These findings present an effective means in additive manufacturing by linking pulsed laser dynamics to microstructure evolution towards desired material properties.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21663831.2025.2466782Additive manufacturinggrain refinementgrain coarseninghomogenizationsubgrains
spellingShingle Sivaji Karna
Lang Yuan
Tianyu Zhang
Andrew J. Gross
Daniel Morrall
Timothy Krentz
Dale Hitchcock
On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion
Materials Research Letters
Additive manufacturing
grain refinement
grain coarsening
homogenization
subgrains
title On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion
title_full On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion
title_fullStr On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion
title_full_unstemmed On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion
title_short On the microstructure evolution of AA6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion
title_sort on the microstructure evolution of aa6061 with pulsed laser powder bed fusion
topic Additive manufacturing
grain refinement
grain coarsening
homogenization
subgrains
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21663831.2025.2466782
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