1.

Title - Microstructure and properties of Al alloy ER5183 deposited by variable polarity cold
metal transfer.
2. Authors - Bowen Zhanga, Chao Wangb, Zhaohui Wang, Laiqi Zhanga, Qiang Gaoa
3. Journal details - Journal of Materials processing Technology.
4. Problems involved - By using VP-CMT, nine different groups of deposit are made possible, and
authors tries to find its effects on microstructure and mechanical properties with respect to grain
size .The influence of change of polarity, buoyancy convection and constitutional supercooling is
taken into consideration in order to increase the mechanical properties of buildup walls
5. Introduction of the present work- The control of heat input in WAAM processes is the main
challenges nowadays, and the various research has been done in the WAAM process by using CMT,
CMT-Pulse arc, CMT Variable Polarity and rolling process to improve the quality finished product.
Excessive heat will leads to coarse the deposit microstructure and generate defects.
6. Novelty of the present work: VP-CMT can potentially reduce gases porosity, cracks behavior and
less distortion of deposited layers. Cong et al. (2016) founds the following benefits of using VP-CMT:
# Alteration of polarity decreases heat accumulation, increasing the melting rate of filler wire, and
produces a balance heat input between depositing layer and substrate or deposited layer with
reducing anisotropy in horizontal and vertical direction both.
# Alteration of polarity and buoyancy convection stir the melt pool surface and creates favorable
condition to form finer equiaxed grains, and reducing gases porosity giving rise to high quality
finished product.
7.Experimental details- Automatic CNC welding system, filler wire - ER5183 d=1.2mm, substrate-
H111-5083 with dimension 300mm×125mm×5mm (steel brush, ethanol, acetone for cleaning
purpose), Ar gas flow rate=25L/mm, arc length la=10mm.
Nine groups of deposits are made on substrate: 1st sample( 1-1 layer), 2nd (2-1,2-2 layer) ,….,9th (9-
1,9-2,9-3,…,9-9), as shown in fig1.
Processing parameter: WFS=7.2m/min, WS=0.5 m/min, Ar gas flow rate =25L/min, EP/EN =1,
intervals b/w layer or inter waiting time = 120 s.
Middle part of each sample extracted for experimental test.
For metallographic observation: sample were grind, polish, anodic coating given to detect the
sample under zeiss metallurgical optical microscope with polarizing filters.
For SEM: sample 1-1,3-1,and 6-1 taken for electron back scattered diffraction(EBSD) to measure the
texture and grain boundary misorientation distribution, and then followed by vicker hardness test.
8. Results and discussion:
In metallographic observation some pores and inclusions are observed near the fusion boundary.
Sample1-1 at low magnification 1mm, shows few pores of size< 40µm, and at higher magnification
all the grains appear to be fined and equiaxed rather than columnar due to low heat input and
change of polarity, as shown by fig(3). Stirring of weld pool by electromagnetic force breaks the
dendrite arms giving rise to fine and equiaxed grains. In case of EP stage electrode is (+) and flow of
current from electrode to substrate and vice-versa, and heat input is smaller in EN stage than EP due
to electronic characteristics and melting feature.
#Alteration of polarity, changes the direction of magnetic field continuously inside the melt pool,
and due to surface tension and buoyancy convection, stirring of weld pool is possible that breaks the
dendrite arms of columnar grains. Furthermore, the modes of solidification changes due to increase
in constitutional supercooling giving rise to equiaxed grains rather than columnar grains.
#Alteration of polarity cleans the oxide films from both(filler wire& substrate) and the convection in
melt pool would reduce the solubility of dissolved hydrogen, and hence, pores and inclusions are
reduced from the solidified buildup wall. .
#In the whole solidification process under VP-CMT, the important factors that inhibits the formation
of pores, induce smaller equiaxed grains, and increase the hardness are “low heat i/p, intense
convection, arc oscillation and continuous change in magnetic field”.

The changes in microstructure are also induced by heat accumulation and thermal cycling as
different layers are deposited.
sample Grain size , µm Microhardness, HV
Case A top layers :- 1-1, 2-2,3- Sample 1-1 smallest grain size Microhardness showing
3,4-4,5-5 37µm and highest microhardnes decreasing trend with
98.7HV,and then Grain Size increasing grain size. Size of
increases&HV decreases upto 5- grain increases due to
5, but all grains in each sample accumulation of heat due to
are equiaxed of different size. residual heat from previous
one.

And then 6-6,7-7,8-8,9-9
CASE B bottom layer :-
1-1,2-1,3-1,4-1,5-1,6-1,7-1,8-
1,9-1
Grain sizes increases
slowly ,approx similar to
41µm.initially 98.7 HV(1-1) to
76.4(5-5) and then stabilize
around 81.8 HV (6-6 to 9-9)
Sample 1-1 GS=37µm and up to
52µm(3-1) and then stabilize
around 41µm(for 4-1 to 9-1)
.
From 5-5 layer ,residual heat
flow in top and previous one
to itself (5-5) and becomes
saturated
HV drops from 98.7HV(1-1) TO
73.1HV(5-1) and then stabilize
around 81HV( for remaining)
9. Conclusions-
#Very few pores and fine equiaxed grains are found in VP-CMT, and the turbulent flow inside the
melt pool and alteration of polarity giving rise to equiaxed grains.
#Due to the difference in heat accumulution, there is drastic increase in the grain size of the top
layer from 37µm to 65µm, with a corresponding microhardness decreases from 98.7 HV to 76.4 HV.
The microstructure becomes more stable after seventh layer as the heat accumulation tends to be
saturated.
#With increase of thermal cycling (bypass temperature nearer to 503 oC) the decrease in grain
boundary angle giving rise to equiaxed grain, and an anisotropy is also weakened. The bottom size
grain ranges from 37µm to 52µm, and microhardness is 73.1 HV to 96.1 HV.
#The evolvement rule of grain and microhardness under different heat accumulation illustrate that
heat input should be gradually decreased in first few layers during WAAM process to grain refined
microstructure and property.
10. Direction of my work- Nothing is optimal solution in WAAM processes. Since, optimization of
process parameter is required at every deposited layers in terms of current , voltage, frequency,
polarity ratio, feed rate etc. in order to supply controlled heat input, controlled solidification and
controlled stirring of weld pool is only method to achieve isotropy. Here isotropy in terms of grain
size, hardness, strength, solidification rate, heat transfer, layer width and layer height , and so on.