Mechanism of keyhole pore formation in metal additive manufacturing

Abstract: Metal additive manufacturing has gained extensive attention from research institutes and companies to fabricate intricate parts and functionally graded materials. However, the porosity of the as-built part deteriorates the mechanical property and even hinders the further application of metal additive manufacturing. Particularly, the mechanisms of keyhole pores associated with the keyhole fluctuation are not fully understood. To reveal the mechanisms of the keyhole pores formation, we adopt a multiphysics thermal-fluid flow model incorporating heat transfer, liquid flow, metal evaporation, Marangoni effect, and Darcy's law to simulate the keyhole pore formation process, and the results are validated with the in-situ X-ray images. The simulation results present the instant bubble formation due to the keyhole instability and motion of the instant bubble when it pins on the solidification front. Moreover, the unevenly distributed recoil pressure on the keyhole surface is an important factor for keyhole collapse and penetration. Furthermore, comparing the keyhole pore formation under different laser scanning speeds shows that the keyhole pore is sensitive to the manufacturing parameters. The keyhole fluctuation features and energy absorptivity variation on the rear keyhole wall could be metrics to evaluate the likelihood of the keyhole pore formation. Additionally, the simulation under a low ambient pressure shows the feasibility of improving the keyhole stability to reduce and even avoid the formation of keyhole pores.