A review of existing solidification crack tests and analysis of their transferability to additive manufacturing

• Published in: Journal of materials processing technology 2023-11, Vol.320, p.118090, Article 118090
• Main Authors: Wall, Andrew, Benoit, Michael J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Additive manufacturing; Cracking; Metallurgy; Solidification; Standardisation
• ISSN: 0924-0136
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2023.118090

Solidification cracking, also referred to as hot tearing, is a metallurgical defect associated with solidification-based manufacturing processes (e.g., welding and casting) that affects many important engineering alloys. Tests have been designed for both casting and welding to assess the susceptibility of a material or process conditions to solidification cracking, with each test focussing on certain criteria of cracking. Fusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) encompasses several processes all of which involve rapid solidification of metal. However, AM currently lacks the same test capabilities to assess solidification cracking susceptibility. This paper reviews 16 existing solidification crack tests that have been developed for casting and welding, both self-restrained and externally loaded. Existing benchmark specimens for AM are also assessed in order to identify significant design principles common among benchmarks and solidification cracking tests. From this review, a set of criteria for an effective solidification cracking test for fusion-based AM processes is proposed, and the applicability of existing welding and casting tests are analysed against these criteria. The study reveals key design concepts that aid in standardisation and adoption of solidification cracking tests within casting and welding, as well as ways in which these concepts can be translated to AM processes.