The preparation of refractory tungsten and tungsten alloys has always been challenging due to their inherent properties. Selective laser melting (SLM) offers a choice for preparing tungsten and tungsten alloys. In this work, 90W-7Ni-3Fe samples were prepared by selective laser melting and investigated. Different process parameter combinations were designed according to the Taguchi method, and volumetric energy density (VED) was defined. Subsequently, the effects of process parameters on densification, phase composition, microstructure, tensile properties, and microhardness were investigated. Nearly a full densification sample (≥99%) was obtained under optimized process parameters, and the value of VED was no less than 300 J/mm³. Laser power had a dominant influence on densification behavior compared with other parameters. The main phases of 90W-7Ni-3Fe are W and γ-(Ni-Fe), dissolved with partial W. In addition, 90W-7Ni-3Fe showed a high tensile strength (UTS = 1121 MPa) with poor elongation (400 HV_0.3) was obtained, but the microhardness presented a fluctuation along building direction due to the inhomogeneous microstructure.

Purpose: To fabricate a selective laser melting (SLM)-processed AlSi10Mg part with almost full density and free of any apparent pores, this study aims to investigate the effect of ambient argon pressure and laser scanning speed on the particles splash during the AlSi10Mg powder bed laser melting. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the discrete element method (DEM), a 3D model of random distribution of powder particles was established, and the 3D free surface of SLM forming process was dynamically tracked by the volume of fluid, where a Gaussian laser beam acts as the energy source melting the powder bed. Through the numerical simulation and process experimental research, the effect of the applied laser power and scanning speed on the operating laser melting temperature was studied. Findings: The process stability has a fundamental role in the porosity formation, which is process-dependent. The effect of the processing conditions on the process stability and the resultant forming defects were clarified. Research limitations/implications: The results shows that the pores were the main defects present in the SLM-processed AlSi10Mg sample, which decreases the densification level of the sample. Practical implications: The optimal processing parameters (argon pressure of 1,000 Pa, laser power of 180 W, scan speed of 1,000 mm/s, powder layer thickness of 35 µm and hatch spacing of 50 µm ) applied during laser melting can improve the quality of selective laser melting of AlSi10Mg, Social implications: It can provide a technological support for 3D printing. Originality/value: Based on the analysis of the pore and balling formation mechanisms, the optimal processing parameters have been obtained, which were argon pressure of 1,000 Pa, laser power of 180 W, scan speed of 1,000 mm/s, powder layer thickness of 35 µm and hatch spacing of 50 µm. Then, a near-fully dense sample free of any apparent pores on the cross-sectional microstructure was produced by SLM, wherein the relative density of the as-built samples is larger than 97.5%.

Tungsten has been widely used in many industrial fields due to its excellent properties. However, owing to its characteristics of inherent brittleness at room temperature and high melting point, it is difficult to prepare tungsten parts with high complexity via traditional methods. In the present work, tungsten samples were prepared by laser powder bed fusion. The influence of each process parameter including laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing on the surface morphology, densification, and microstructure of tungsten samples was systematically investigated. The results showed that the use of the appropriate parameters, especially high laser power, can effectively improve the surface quality and obtain a dense surface. The tungsten samples with a relative density of 98.31% were obtained with optimized parameter combinations: a laser power of 300 W, scanning speed of 400 mm/s, and hatch spacing of 0.08 mm. Compared with scanning speed and hatch spacing, the laser power had a more obvious influence on the relative density. Additionally, for the grain morphology by microstructure inspection, elongated curved grains gradually transformed into fine straight columnar grains as the scanning speed increased. The hatch spacing would change the grain morphology slightly but had no significant effect on the grain size.