Functionally Graded Properties Induced by Direct Laser Melting of Compositionally Selected Metallic Powders

Functionally graded properties are characterized by the gradual variation in composition and structure through the volume of the material, resulting in corresponding gradation in properties of the material. Direct laser melting (DLM) is a prototyping process whereby a 3-D part is built layer-wise by melting metal powder with laser scanning. Studies have been performed on the functionally graded properties induced by direct laser melting of compositionally selected metallic powders. For the current study, quadrangle structures were fabricated by DLM using Fe-Ni-Cr powders having variable compositions. Hardness and EDX analysis were conducted on cross-sections of the fabricated structure to characterize the properties. From the analysis, it is shown that functionally graded properties can be successfully obtained by DLM of selected metallic powders with varying compositions.