Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approach

In this study, laser-material interactions during laser-powder bed fusion of WE43 magnesium alloy were characterized through numerical and experimental analyses. Various melting modes (i.e., conduction, transition, and keyhole) were induced through deposition of laser tracks at powers ranging from 8...

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Main Authors: Francesco D’Elia, Mohammad Hoseini-Athar, Satya Chaitanya Vaddamanu, Mikael Ersson, Peter Hedström, Cecilia Persson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Materials & Design
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525003454
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author Francesco D’Elia
Mohammad Hoseini-Athar
Satya Chaitanya Vaddamanu
Mikael Ersson
Peter Hedström
Cecilia Persson
author_facet Francesco D’Elia
Mohammad Hoseini-Athar
Satya Chaitanya Vaddamanu
Mikael Ersson
Peter Hedström
Cecilia Persson
author_sort Francesco D’Elia
collection DOAJ
description In this study, laser-material interactions during laser-powder bed fusion of WE43 magnesium alloy were characterized through numerical and experimental analyses. Various melting modes (i.e., conduction, transition, and keyhole) were induced through deposition of laser tracks at powers ranging from 80 to 130 W, and used as input parameters for a thermo-fluid model. Results of microscopy demonstrated good agreement between numerical and experimental measurements of melt pool depth, as well as a strong correlation between melt pool microstructure and the thermo-fluid conditions predicted by the model. Specifically, for conduction mode at 80 W, a predominance of cellular subgrains within the melt pool was consistent with the predicted steep thermal gradients, while for keyhole mode at 130 W, low thermal gradients correlated with high presence of equiaxed dendrites. Moreover, convection currents attributed to high recoil pressure in keyhole melt pools, were in agreement with locations of numerous subgrain boundaries having non-uniform morphologies, while under conduction, outward Marangoni flow led to a unique alignment of cellular subgrains and fewer subgrain boundaries. This study demonstrates the interplay among processing, thermal history, fluid flow and microstructure in WE43, and provides a basis for future design of microstructures for improved material properties.
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spelling doaj-art-dfddc79ebaa24d84b2bcc469b7135f5c2025-08-20T02:38:30ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752025-05-0125311392510.1016/j.matdes.2025.113925Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approachFrancesco D’Elia0Mohammad Hoseini-Athar1Satya Chaitanya Vaddamanu2Mikael Ersson3Peter Hedström4Cecilia Persson5Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Corresponding author.Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenIn this study, laser-material interactions during laser-powder bed fusion of WE43 magnesium alloy were characterized through numerical and experimental analyses. Various melting modes (i.e., conduction, transition, and keyhole) were induced through deposition of laser tracks at powers ranging from 80 to 130 W, and used as input parameters for a thermo-fluid model. Results of microscopy demonstrated good agreement between numerical and experimental measurements of melt pool depth, as well as a strong correlation between melt pool microstructure and the thermo-fluid conditions predicted by the model. Specifically, for conduction mode at 80 W, a predominance of cellular subgrains within the melt pool was consistent with the predicted steep thermal gradients, while for keyhole mode at 130 W, low thermal gradients correlated with high presence of equiaxed dendrites. Moreover, convection currents attributed to high recoil pressure in keyhole melt pools, were in agreement with locations of numerous subgrain boundaries having non-uniform morphologies, while under conduction, outward Marangoni flow led to a unique alignment of cellular subgrains and fewer subgrain boundaries. This study demonstrates the interplay among processing, thermal history, fluid flow and microstructure in WE43, and provides a basis for future design of microstructures for improved material properties.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525003454Laser-powder bed fusionMagnesium alloysComputational modelingMelt poolMicrostructureSolidification
spellingShingle Francesco D’Elia
Mohammad Hoseini-Athar
Satya Chaitanya Vaddamanu
Mikael Ersson
Peter Hedström
Cecilia Persson
Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approach
Materials & Design
Laser-powder bed fusion
Magnesium alloys
Computational modeling
Melt pool
Microstructure
Solidification
title Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approach
title_full Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approach
title_fullStr Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approach
title_full_unstemmed Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approach
title_short Influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in WE43 Mg alloy: A combined computational and experimental approach
title_sort influence of melting mode on melt pool dynamics and microstructure in we43 mg alloy a combined computational and experimental approach
topic Laser-powder bed fusion
Magnesium alloys
Computational modeling
Melt pool
Microstructure
Solidification
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525003454
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