XCT-assisted micromechanical modeling of the effect of pores on the plastic deformation and mechanical characteristics of PBF-LB/M-produced copper alloys

Due to the low absorption of fiber laser by copper particles, the laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) processing of copper components is accompanied by the development of different types of porosities within the printed samples. This research aims to assess the consequences of various process-induced pores on the mechanical characteristics and deformation of PBF-LB/M-produced copper alloys. Several copper alloys were processed using metal-coated particles and varied laser intensities, yielding samples with different types and amounts of porosities. For instance, CuCrZr alloys processed at 325 J/mm³ and 257 J/mm³ had 0.009% and 1.117% porosities, dominated by keyhole and lack-of-fusion pores, respectively. Moreover, PBF-LB/M processing of Cr- and Nb- coated CuNi3SiCr particles accompanied by the generation of 0.004% and 1.861% porosities within the samples, predominantly featuring metallurgical and oxidation pores, respectively. Compression and nanoindentation tests revealed that the CuNi3SiCr alloy exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to the CuCrZr sample (nanoindentation hardness values 2.2 GPa and 1.4 GPa, respectively), while the presence of lack-of-fusion pores notably diminished their mechanical performance. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) reconstruction slices and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were then used for developing the representative volume elements (RVEs) based micromechanical models. The micromechanical simulations established a structure-property correlation that can simulate the compressive deformation and mechanical characteristics of PBF-LB/M-produced copper alloys as a function of their incorporated pore characteristics. Due to the closure of the pores at the first stages of deformation, samples with minimal keyhole and metallurgical porosities exhibited homogeneous plastic deformation. On the other side, based on the Johnson-Cook model, strain concentration and crack propagation around the lack-of-fusion pores lead to damage initiation in the printed samples at a strain level of 5%.