Mechanism of Grain Refinement in 3D-Printed AlSi10Mg Alloy Subjected to Severe Plastic Deformation

Abstract

In this article, the evolution of microstructural characteristics of selectively laser-melted AlSi10Mg alloy subjected to equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is investigated. The microstructures were analyzed in detail using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A heterogeneous ultrafine-grained microstructure was produced after one ECAP pass at 100 °C. This microstructure was composed of Al/Si cells and sub-micrometer grains. The grains were refined by conventional dislocation processes; however, evidence of dynamic recrystallization was also documented. Furthermore, it was revealed that the Al/Si cells contribute significantly to grain refinement. EBSD/TKD investigations showed that cell misorientation increased after ECAP processing, resulting in an increased fraction of grains with very low misorientation angles.