This study explores the profound impact of varying oxygen content on microstructural and mechanical properties in specimens HO and LO. The higher oxygen concentration in specimen HO is found to significantly influence alpha lath sizes, resulting in a size of 0.5-1 μm, contrasting with the 1-1.5 μm size observed in specimen LO. Pore fraction, governed by oxygen concentration, is high in specimen HO, registering a value of 0.11%, whereas specimen LO exhibits a lower pore fraction (0.02%). Varied pore types in each specimen further underscore the role of oxygen concentration in shaping microstructural morphology. Despite these microstructural variations, the average hardness remains consistent at ~370 HV. This study emphasizes the pivotal role of oxygen content in influencing microstructural features, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between elemental composition and material properties.

A fixed-point iteration is proposed to integrate the stress and state variables in the incremental analysis of plastic deformation. The Conventional Newton–Raphson method requires a second-order derivative of the yield function to generate a complicated code, and the convergence cannot be guaranteed beforehand. The proposed fixed-point iteration does not require a second-order derivative of the yield function, and convergence is ensured for a given strain increment. The fixed-point iteration is easier to implement, and the computational time is shortened compared with the Newton–Raphson method. The plane-stress condition is considered for the biaxial loading conditions to confirm the convergence of the fixed-point iteration. 3-dimensional tensile specimen is considered to compare the computational times in the ABAQUS/explicit finite element analysis.

The effect of the laser beam diameter on the microstructure and hardness of 17-4 PH stainless steel manufactured via the directed energy deposition process is investigated. The pore size and area fraction are much lower using a laser beam diameter of 1.0 mm compared with those observed using a laser beam diameter of 1.8 mm. Additionally, using a relatively larger beam diameter results in pores in the form of incomplete melting. Martensite and retained austenite are observed under both conditions. A smaller width of the weld track and overlapping area are observed in the sample fabricated with a 1.0 mm beam diameter. This difference appears to be mainly caused by the energy density based on the variation in the beam diameter. The sample prepared with a beam diameter of 1.0 mm had a higher hardness near the substrate than that prepared with a 1.8 mm beam diameter, which may be influenced by the degree of melt mixing between the 17-4 PH metal powder and carbon steel substrate.

In this study, we have prepared a Ti-6Al-4V/V/17-4 PH composite structure via a direct energy deposition process, and analyzed the interfaces using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The joint interfaces comprise two zones, one being a mixed zone in which V and 17-4PH are partially mixed and another being a fusion zone in the 17-4PH region which consists of Fe+FeV. It is observed that the power of the laser used in the deposition process affects the thickness of the mixed zone. When a 210 W laser is used, the thickness of the mixed zone is wider than that obtained using a 150 W laser, and the interface resembles a serrated shape. Moreover, irrespective of the laser power used, the expected  phase is found to be absent in the V/17-4 PH stainless steel joint; however, many VN precipitates are observed.

In the present work, Inconel 718 alloy is additively manufactured on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and a functionally graded material is built between Inconel 718 and Ti-6Al-4V alloys. The vanadium interlayer is applied to prevent the formation of detrimental intermetallic compounds between Ti-6Al-4V and Inconel 718 by direct joining. The additive manufacturing of Inconel 718 alloy is performed by changing the laser power and scan speed. The microstructures of the joint interface are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and micro X-ray diffraction. Additive manufacturing is successfully performed by changing the energy input. The micro Vickers hardness of the additive manufactured Inconel 718 dramatically increased owing to the presence of the Cr-oxide phase, which is formed by the difference in energy input.

Oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steel has excellent high-temperature properties, corrosion resistance, and oxidation resistance, and is expected to be applicable in various fields. Recently, various studies on mechanical alloying (MA) have been conducted for the dispersion of oxide particles in ODS steel with a high number density. In this study, ODS steel is manufactured by introducing a complex milling process in which planetary ball milling, cryogenic ball milling, and drum ball milling are sequentially performed, and the microstructure and high-temperature mechanical properties of the ODS steel are investigated. The microstructure observation revealed that the structure is stretched in the extrusion direction, even after the heat treatment. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirmed the presence of oxide particles in the range of 5 to 10 nm. As a result of the room-temperature and high-temperature compression tests, the yield strengths were measured as 1430, 1388, 418, and 163 MPa at 25, 500, 700, and 900oC, respectively. Based on these results, the correlation between the microstructure and mechanical properties of ODS steel manufactured using the composite milling process is also discussed.

In the present work, an explicit finite element analysis technique is introduced to analyze the thermal stress fields present in the additive manufacturing process. To this purpose, a finite element matrix formulation is derived from the equations of motion and continuity. The developed code, NET3D, is then applied to various sample problems including thermal stress development. The application of heat to an inclusion from an external source establishes an initial temperature from which heat flows to the surrounding body in the sample problems. The development of thermal stress due to the mismatch between the thermal strains is analyzed. As mass scaling can be used to shorten the computation time of explicit analysis, a mass scaling of 108 is employed here, which yields almost identical results to the quasi-static results.

The properties of powder metallurgy products are related to their densities. In the present work, we demonstrate a method to apply artificial neural networks (ANNs) trained on experimental data to predict the bulk density of barium titanates. The density is modeled as a function of pressure, press rate, heating rate, sintering temperature, and soaking time using the ANN method. The model predictions with the training and testing data result in a high coefficient of correlation (R2 = 0.95 and Pearson’s r = 0.97) and low average error. Moreover, a graphical user interface for the model is developed on the basis of the transformed weights of the optimally trained model. It facilitates the prediction of an infinite combination of process parameters with reasonable accuracy. Sensitivity analysis performed on the ANN model aids the identification of the impact of process parameters on the density of barium titanates.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a highly innovative method for joining dissimilar materials for industrial applications. In the present work, AM of STS630 and Ti-6Al-4V powder alloys on medium entropy alloys (MEAs) NiCrCo and NiCrCoMn is studied. The STS630 and Ti64 powders are deposited on the MEAs. Joint delamination and cracks are observed after the deposition of Ti64 on the MEAs, whereas the deposition of STS630 on the MEAs is successful, without any cracks and joint delamination. The microstructure around the fusion zone interface is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Intermetallic compounds are formed at the interfacial regions of MEA-Ti64 samples. In addition, Vicker’s hardness value increased dramatically at the joint interface between MEAs and Ti-6Al-4V compared to that between MEAs and STS630. This result is attributed to the brittle nature of the joint, which can lead to a decrease in the joint strength.

This study is conducted as a preliminary research to verify the feasibility of Ti-based Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy. Pure-Ti powder is mixed with Y2O3 powder and subsequently, mechanically alloyed at -150oC. The Ti-based ODS powder is hot-isostatically pressed and subsequently hot-rolled for recrystallization. The microstructure consists of elongated grains and Y excess fine particles. The oxide particle size is larger than that of the typical Febased ODS steel. Tensile test shows that the tensile ductility is approximately 25%, while the strength is significantly higher than that of pure Ti. The high-temperature hardness of the Ti-ODS alloy is also significantly higher than that of pure Ti at all temperatures, while being lower than that of Ti-6Al-4V. The dimple structure is well developed, and no evidence of cleavage fracture surface is observed in the fracture surface of the tensile specimen.

The microstructure and mechanical characteristics of SUS630 specimens fabricated using the direct energy deposition (DED) process are investigated. In DED, several process parameters such as laser scan speed, chamber gas flow, powder carrier gas flow, and powder feed rate are kept fixed; the laser power is changed as 150 W, 180 W, and 210 W. As the laser power increases, the surface becomes smooth, the thickness uniformity improves, and the size and number of pores decreases. With the increase in laser power, the hardness deviation decreases and the average hardness increases. The microstructure of the material is columnar; pores are formed preferentially along the columnar interface. The lath-martensite phase governs the overall microstructure. The volumetric fraction of the retained austenite phase is measured to increase with the increase of laser input power.