Use of Neutron Scattering to Inform the Science of Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing (AM), often called 3D printing, offers the unique opportunity to transform how materials are consolidated into bulk 3D structures. The localized melt strategies in metal AM introduce non-equilibrium thermal conditions that can affect the microstructure and phase evolution in as-fabricated parts. Steep thermal gradients (~10^3-5 K/s) can lead the presence of metastable phase. This talk will preset how researchers at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL leverage neutron scattering tool to determining how AM affects the state of as-fabricated components, e.g., lattice strain and phase stability. This talk will conclude with an overview of the sample environment to study transient phases and bulk stress evolution during metal DED using the engineering diffractometer VULCAN-X at the Spallation Neutron Source.