Enhanced ductility and superior ductility isotropy of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg by homogenizing the grain orientation distribution

Selective laser melted (SLMed) AlSi10Mg has received substantial attention due to its excellent printability and strength-to-weight ratio, endowing it with certain potential in aerospace applications as structural components. However, the poor and highly anisotropic ductility not only deteriorates the life and reliability but also limits the assembly flexibility of the components, such as in self-piercing riveting. Herein, an inoculation treatment was employed, resulting in decreased texture intensity with a more homogenous grain orientation distribution. Such microstructural changes cause a slower but longer-lasting strain-hardening behavior. Consequently, the tensile strength in horizontal and vertical directions is improved by 7% and 18%, respectively. Meanwhile, the ductility in horizontal and vertical directions is improved by 58% and 175%, respectively. Furthermore, the ductility anisotropy decreases dramatically from 47% to 8.3%. This study may facilitate the application of SLMed AlSi10Mg.