Dynamic spall properties of an additively manufactured, high-entropy alloy (CoCrFeMnNi)

The dynamic spall properties of an additively manufactured (AM), CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) were investigated as a function of processing defects. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) was used to additively manufacture HEA samples that were subsequently subjected to shock loading through plate impact experiments. Seven different combinations of laser power and scan speeds were explored, ranging from 180 to 280 W and 925-1350 mm/s, respectively. All samples were considered within the bounds of lack-of-fusion and keyholing defects based on initial experiments, but exhibited varying degrees of solidification cracking and microstructural changes. Grain size and grain aspect ratio were found to modestly decrease with faster scan speeds and lower laser powers, while cracking associated with the AM process increased with faster scan speeds and higher laser powers. Spall strength and spall damage did not systematically trend with microstructural characteristics such as grain size, but did exhibit a relationship with pre-existing crack density. Spall properties were found to generally degrade with increasing crack density. Evidence of defect compaction was not observed in soft recovered spall samples, thus pre-existing cracks were proposed to degrade spall properties by acting as stress concentrators and preferred damage nucleation sites during tensile impact loading. Here, the presence of manufacturing-related defects, such as cracks, dominated the dynamic response; however, in the absence of these defects, microstructural changes like grain size and texture would be expected to control dynamic behavior.