Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of the FeCrAl Alloy Fabricated by Laser Additive Manufacturing

HUANG Kai; ZHANG Wei; BAI Dehu; WANG Xi; BAI Yuxi; LU Chenyang; GAO Rui

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.02.015

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (2) : 155-168. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.02.015

Additive Manufacturing

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of the FeCrAl Alloy Fabricated by Laser Additive Manufacturing

HUANG Kai¹, ZHANG Wei¹, BAI Dehu², WANG Xi², BAI Yuxi², LU Chenyang², GAO Rui^2,*

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Abstract

Targeting the potential application requirements of the second-generation FeCrAl alloy (C35MN) in accident-tolerant fuel claddings for nuclear reactors, the work aims to investigate the effect of selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing on the alloy's microstructure, thereby optimizing and enhancing its mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) were employed to characterize and analyze the density, phase and grain morphology of FeCrAl alloys fabricated under different parameters (e.g., layer thickness, scanning speed). The laser volumetric energy density (VED) had a significant impact on the alloy's density, grain morphology, and texture. At lower energy densities (e.g., VED<1.6×10² J/mm³), the fabricated materials exhibited weak preferred orientation, and grains tended to grow in various directions. However, excessively high energy density (e.g., 2.67×10² J/mm³) led to columnar grain structures with stronger texture and relatively lower density. Increasing the laser scanning speed promotes the multiplication of dislocations and the precipitation of high-density nanoscale particles. When the scanning speed is 500 mm/s and the energy density is 2×10² J/mm³, the alloy achieves a tensile strength of up to 800 MPa with a uniform elongation of 4%. The residual stress of the alloy decreases after annealing at 1 100 ℃ for 1 h. Although the Laves precipitation phase grows up, the Vickers hardness decreases by 86HV compared with the pristine alloy.

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FeCrAl alloy / selective laser melting (SLM) / microstructure / mechanical properties / energy density

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HUANG Kai, ZHANG Wei, BAI Dehu, WANG Xi, BAI Yuxi, LU Chenyang, GAO Rui. Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of the FeCrAl Alloy Fabricated by Laser Additive Manufacturing[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2026, 18(2): 155-168 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.02.015

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