Bhaduri, Debajyoti  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8270-388X, Ghara, Tina, Penchev, Pavel, Paul, Soumitra, Pruncu, Catalin I., Dimov, Stefan and Morgan, David  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6571-5731
      2021.
      
      Pulsed laser polishing of selective laser melted aluminium alloy parts.
      Applied Surface Science
      558
      
      
      , 149887.
      10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.149887
    
  
  
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Abstract
Laser polishing (LP) of aluminium alloys by re-melting is particularly challenging due to their high thermal conductivity, diffusivity and reflectivity. In this research, a novel LP strategy is proposed to improve material’s re-melting by introducing a thermally insulating ceramic baseplate during nanosecond-pulsed laser polishing of selective laser melted (SLM) AlSi10Mg parts in atmospheric and argon environments. The strategy considerably improves the material’s re-melting as realised via sub-surface temperature measurements. This leads to a substantial reduction in the average roughness Sa (by ~80-88%) and neutral/compressive residual stresses (up to −19 MPa) when polishing in air with a laser energy density of 12 J/cm2 and 10 scanning passes. In contrast, the unpolished SLM counterparts exhibit tensile stresses, up to +55 MPa. Laser polishing, however, somewhat reduces the Al parts’ bulk hardnesses (by ~15-25%) compared to the as-built specimens. Heat affected zones (HAZ) in the form of Al-rich white layers up to a depth of ~35 µm beneath the LP surfaces are observed on the cross-sectional microstructures. The study reveals the importance of controlling the heat dissipation from the objects when laser polishing of thermally conductive materials to achieve the desired surface integrity properties.
| Item Type: | Article | 
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication | 
| Status: | Published | 
| Schools: | Schools > Chemistry Schools > Engineering  | 
      
| Publisher: | Elsevier | 
| ISSN: | 0169-4332 | 
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 27 April 2021 | 
| Date of Acceptance: | 20 April 2021 | 
| Last Modified: | 27 Sep 2023 17:05 | 
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/140790 | 
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