Effects of processing parameters on pore defects in blue laser directed energy deposition of aluminum by in and ex situ observation

A single track, as the basic unit of laser directed energy deposition (L-DED) process, plays a significant role in the dimensional accuracy and mechanical performances of the ultimate products. However, there is almost no systematic investigation on the formation process and three-dimensional characteristics of the internal pore defects. Here, we used a high-speed camera, laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM), and synchrotron radiation X-ray computed tomography (SR-CT) to study single tracks of AlSi10Mg alloy fabricated by blue laser directed energy deposition (BL-DED). A comprehensive investigation is conducted on the impact of processing parameters on the sizes, shapes, and formation mechanism of pore defects. Three types of pore defects are examined in single tracks: Type I lack of fusion, Type II spherical gas pores and Type III large irregular pores. Besides, large irregular pores are the transition between other two types. In particular, the results of SR-CT show that porosity decreases gradually with the increment of laser power and scanning speed. Therefore, high laser power accompanying with fast scanning speed will reduce the porosity. The lowest porosity of 0.074% is achieved under the power at 1600 W with scanning speed at 1080 mm/min, which has an obvious improvement over the current infrared L-DED. In addition, the mapping relationship among laser power, scanning speed and pore defects is established, which will provide a fundamental understanding of the origin of the defect and strategies for controlling the defect in L-DED towards high-quality printing.