The Paton Welding Journal, 2024, №11



2024 №11 (05)

DOI of Article 10.37434/tpwj2024.11.01

2024 №11 (02)

---

The Paton Welding Journal, 2024, #11, 3-13 pages

Mechanical and thermal behavior of additively manufactured Invar 36 using a laser hot wire hybrid DED process

Bharat Yelamanchi¹, Andrew Prokop¹, Coleman Buchanan¹, Aayush Alok¹, Mario Rodriguez², Jimena Morales², Holly Martin¹, Brian Vuksanovich¹, Virgil Solomon¹, Eric MacDonald², Yousub Lee³, Thomas Feldhausen^2,4, Pedro Cortes²

¹Youngstown State University, OH USA 44555. E-mail: byelamanchi@ysu.edu
²College of Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso, TX USA 79968
³Computational Sciences & Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, USA
⁴Manufacturing Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, USA

Abstract
Invar 36 alloy is a material of high interest in the composite tooling sector due to its low coefficient of thermal expansion. Current production of Invar 36 tooling using traditional manufacturing such as casting and forging is associated with long lead times due to a multitude of factors such as labor and component shortages, high material costs, foreign competition, and supply chain issues. An attractive alternate process is the use of an integrated 5-axis CNC hybrid Laser Hot Wire Deposition System (LHWD) for manufacturing invar molds. The hybrid process provides a combination of the additive and subtractive technologies resulting in a synergistic platform for producing and repairing structures and molds. The main novelty and goal of this work is to study the properties of Invar deposited by a LHWD and to provide guidelines for the manufacture of parts using this process. In this study, the thermal expansion behavior of the manufactured specimens has been analyzed and related to its printing parameters and direction. Multiple specimens were extracted for mechanical, dilatometry and metallographic testing. A thermal IR recording of the printing process was also carried out to observe the thermal history of the produced parts to establish thermal influence on performance-property-processing relationship. The results of these tests show the advantage of LHWD technology for the manufacture of Invar alloy parts, as it presents similar thermal expansion behavior as those commercially available with minimal presence of precipitates and no macrostructural failures such as pores, cracks and lacks of fusion.
Keywords: hybrid directed energy deposition, Invar, hybrid manufacturing, additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing, wire and laser additive manufacturing (WLAM), directed energy deposition (DED), laser hot-wire deposition (LHWD)

Received: 15.08.2024
Received in revised form: 04.10.2024
Accepted: 20.11.2024

References

1. Acharya, S.S., Medicherla, V.R.R., Bapna, K. et al. (2021) Mixed ground state in Fe-Ni Invar alloys. J. Alloys Compd., 863, 158605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.158605
2. Liu, H., Sun, Z., Wang, G. et al. (2016) Effect of aging on microstructures and properties of Mo-alloyed Fe-36Ni Invar alloy. Materials Sci. and Eng.: A, 654, 107-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2015.12.018
3. Chen, C., Ma, B., Liu, B. et al. (2019) Refinement mechanism and physical properties of arc melted Invar alloy with different modifiers. Mater. Chem. Phys., 227, 138-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2019.02.006
4. Ona, K., Sakaguchi, N., Ohno, H., Utsunomiya, S. (2020) The advanced super Invar alloys with zero thermal expansion for space telescopes. Transac. of the Japan Soc. for Aeronautical and Space Sci., Aerospace Technology Japan, 18, 32-37. https://doi.org/10.2322/tastj.18.32
5. Kim, B.G., Lee, D.G. (2009) The design of an optical sensor arrangement for the detection of oil contamination in an adhesively bonded structure of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship. Meas. Sci. Technol., 20, 065204. https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/20/6/065204
6. He, G., Peng, X., Zhou, H. et al. (2023) Superior mechanical properties of Invar36 alloy lattices structures manufactured by laser powder bed fusion. Materials, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16124433
7. Abbasi, S.M., Morakabati, M., Mahdavi, R., Momeni, A. (2015) Effect of microalloying additions on the hot ductility of cast FeNi36. J. Alloys Compd., 639, 602-610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.03.167
8. Martín-García, J.M., Portugal, R., Manssur, L.R.U. (2007) The Invar tensor package. Comput. Phys. Commun., 177, 640-648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2007.05.015
9. Wegener, T., Brenne, F., Fischer, A. et al. (2021) On the structural integrity of Fe-36Ni Invar alloy processed by selective laser melting. Additive Manufacturing, 37, 101603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101603
10. Yakout, M., Elbestawi, M.A. (2020) Insights on laser additive manufacturing of Invar 36. In Additive Manufacturing Applications for Metals and Composites. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4054-1.ch004
11. Sahoo, A., Medicherla, V.R.R. (2021) Fe-Ni Invar alloys: A review. Materials Today: Proc., 43, 2242-2244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.12.527
12. Kim, S.H., Choi, S.G., Choi, W.K. et al. (2014) Pulse electrochemical machining on Invar alloy: Optical microscopic/ SEM and Non-contact 3D measurement study of surface analyses. Appl. Surf. Sci., 314, 822-831. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.07.028
13. Gil Del Val, A., Cearsolo, X., Suarez, A. et al. (2023) Machinability characterization in end milling of Invar 36 fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing. J. of Materials Research and Technology, 23, 300-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2022.12.182
14. Zhao, Y., Wu, A.P., Ren, J.L. et al. (2013) Temperature and force response characteristics of friction stir welding on Invar 36 alloy. Sci. Technol. Weld. Joining, 18, 232-238. https://doi.org/10.1179/1362171812Y.0000000077
15. Jiang, Z., Chen, X., Li, H. et al. (2020) Grain refinement and laser energy distribution during laser oscillating welding of Invar alloy. Mater. Des., 186, 108195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2019.108195
16. Huang, G., He, G., Liu, Y., Huang, K. (2024) Anisotropy of microstructure, mechanical properties and thermal expansion in Invar 36 alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion. Additive Manufacturing, 82, 104025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2024.104025
17. Rishmawi, I., Rogalsky, A., Vlasea, M. et al. (2022) The effects of heat treatment on tensile and thermal expansion behavior of laser powder-bed fusion Invar 36. J. Mater. Eng. Perform., 31, 9727-9739. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-022-07013-x
18. Huang, G., He, G., Peng, X. et al. (2024) Effect of processing parameters on the microstructure, mechanical properties and thermal expansion behavior of Invar 36 alloy manufactured by laser powder bed fusion. Materials Sci. and Eng.: A, 897, 146329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2024.146329
19. Ren, G., Cui, Z., Hao, X. et al. (2024) Effect of subgrain microstructure on the mechanical properties of Invar 36 specimens prepared by laser powder bed fusion. J. Alloys Compd., 1004, 175839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.175839
20. Guo, H., Liu, D., Xu, M. et al. (2024) Preparation, characterization and composition optimization design of laser powder bed fusion continuously graded Invar 36/316L stainless steel alloys. Mater. Charact., 209, 113709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2024.113709
21. Asgari, H., Salarian, M., Ma, H. et al. (2018) On thermal expansion behavior of Invar alloy fabricated by modulated laser powder bed fusion. Mater. Des., 160, 895-905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2018.10.025
22. Yakout, M., Elbestawi, M.A., Veldhuis, S.C. (2018) A study of thermal expansion coefficients and microstructure during selective laser melting of Invar 36 and stainless steel 316L. Additive Manufacturing, 24, 405-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.09.035
23. Garibaldi, M., Ashcroft, I., Simonelli, M., Hague, R. (2016) Metallurgy of high-silicon steel parts produced using selective laser melting. Acta Mater., 110, 207-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2016.03.037
24. Tan, H., Wang, Y., Wang, G. et al. (2020) Investigation on microstructure and properties of laser solid formed low expansion Invar 36 alloy. J. of Materials Research and Technology, 9, 5827-5839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2020.03.108
25. Huang, G., He, G., Gong, X. et al. (2024) Additive manufacturing of Invar 36 alloy. J. of Materials Research and Technology, 30, 1241-1268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2024.02.221
26. Yang, Q., Wei, K., Yang, X. et al. (2020) Microstructures and unique low thermal expansion of Invar 36 alloy fabricated by selective laser melting. Mater. Charact., 166, 110409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2020.110409
27. Carroll, B.E., Palmer, T.A., Beese, A.M. (2015) Anisotropic tensile behavior of Ti-6Al-4V components fabricated with directed energy deposition additive manufacturing. Acta Mater., 87, 309-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2014.12.054
28. Wang, Z., Palmer, T.A., Beese, A.M. (2016) Effect of processing parameters on microstructure and tensile properties of austenitic stainless steel 304L made by directed energy deposition additive manufacturing. Acta Mater., 110, 226-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2016.03.019
29. Tian, Y., McAllister, D., Colijn, H. et al. (2014) Rationalization of microstructure heterogeneity in Inconel 718 builds made by the direct laser additive manufacturing process. Metall. Mater. Transact. A, 45, 4470-4483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-014-2370-6
30. Sridharan, N., Gussev, M., Seibert, R. et al. (2016) Rationalization of anisotropic mechanical properties of Al-6061 fabricated using ultrasonic additive manufacturing. Acta Mater., 117, 228-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2016.06.048
31. Wang, P., Tan, X., Nai, M.L.S. et al. (2016) Spatial and geometrical- based characterization of microstructure and microhardness for an electron beam melted Ti-6Al-4V component. Mater. Des., 95, 287-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2016.01.093
32. Ngo, T.D., Kashani, A., Imbalzano, G. et al. (2018) Additive manufacturing (3D printing): A review of materials, methods, applications and challenges. Composites Pt B, 143, 172-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.02.012
33. Zhang, K., Chen, Y., Marussi, S. et al. (2024) Pore evolution mechanisms during directed energy deposition additive manufacturing. Nat. Commun., 15, 1715. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45913-9
34. Yi, H., Yang, L., Jia, L. et al. (2024) Porosity in wire-arc directed energy deposition of aluminum alloys: Formation mechanisms, influencing factors and inhibition strategies. Additive Manufacturing, 84, 104108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2024.104108

---

Suggested Citation

Bharat Yelamanchi, Andrew Prokop, Coleman Buchanan, Aayush Alok, Mario Rodriguez, Jimena Morales, Holly Martin, Brian Vuksanovich, Virgil Solomon, Eric MacDonald, Yousub Lee, Thomas Feldhausen, Pedro Cortes (2024) Mechanical and thermal behavior of additively manufactured Invar 36 using a laser hot wire hybrid DED process. The Paton Welding J., 11, 3-13.

---