Heat Input Effect on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Electron Beam Additive Manufactured (EBAM) Cu-7.5wt.%Al Bronze

Abstract

Electron beam additive wire-feed deposition of Cu-7.5wt.%Al bronze on a stainless-steel substrate has been carried out at heat input levels 0.21, 0.255, and 0.3 kJ/mm. The microstructures formed at 0.21 kJ/mm were characterized by the presence of both zigzagged columnar and small equiaxed grains with 10% of Σ3 annealing twin grain boundaries. No equiaxed grains were found in samples obtained at 0.255 and 0.3 kJ/mm. The zigzagged columnar ones were only retained in samples obtained at 0.255 kJ/mm. The fraction of Σ3 boundaries reduced at higher heat input values to 7 and 4%, respectively. The maximum tensile strength was achieved on samples obtained with 0.21 kJ/mm as tested with a tensile axis perpendicular to the deposited wall’s height. More than 100% elongation-to-fracture was achieved when testing the samples obtained at 0.3 kJ/mm (as tested with a tensile axis coinciding with the wall’s height).