In this work, the effect of processing parameters on the resulting microstructure and mechanical properties of magnesium alloy WE43 processed via Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD), a nascent solid-state additive manufacturing (AM) process, is investigated. In particular, a parameterization study was carried out, using multiple four-layer deposits, to identify a suitable process window for a structural 68-layers bulk WE43 deposition. The parametric study identified an acceptable set of parameters with minimal surface defects and excellent consolidation for the fabrication of a bulk WE43 deposition. Microstructural, tensile, and fatigue life characterization was conducted on the bulk WE43 deposition and compared to commercially available wrought material to elucidate the process-structure-property-performance (PSPP) relationship of the AFSD process. This study shows that the bulk WE43 deposit exhibited a refined homogenous microstructure and a texture shift relative to the wrought material. However, a reduction in hardness and tensile behavior was observed in the as-deposited WE43 compared to the wrought control. Additionally, fatigue specimens extracted from the bulk deposition exhibited a decrease in life in the low-cycle regime but performed comparably to the wrought plate in the high-cycle regime. The outcomes of this study illustrate the potential of the AFSD process in additively manufactured structural load-bearing components made with magnesium alloy WE43 in the as-built condition.

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In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) has gained prominence in rapid prototyping and production of structural components with complex geometries. Magnesium alloys, which have a strength-to-weight ratio that is superior compared with steel and aluminum alloys, have shown potential in lightweighting applications. However, commercial beam-based AM technologies have limited success with magnesium alloys due to vaporization and hot cracking. Therefore, as an alternative approach, we propose the use of a near net-shape solid-state additive manufacturing process, additive friction stir deposition (AFSD), to fabricate magnesium alloys in bulk. In this study, a parametric investigation was performed to quantify the effect of process parameters on AFSD build quality including volumetric defects and surface quality in magnesium alloy AZ31B. In order to understand the effect of the AFSD process on structural integrity in the magnesium alloy AZ31B, in-depth microstructure and mechanical property characterization was conducted on a bulk AFSD build fabricated with a set of acceptable process parameters. Results of the microstructure analysis of the as-deposited AFSD build revealed bulk microstructure similar to wrought magnesium alloy AZ31 plate. Additionally, similar hardness measurements were found in AFSD build compared with control wrought specimens. While tensile test results of the as-deposited AFSD build exhibited a 20% drop in yield strength (YS), nearly identical ultimate strength was observed compared with the wrought control. The experimental results of this study illustrate the potential of using the AFSD process to additively manufacture Mg alloys for load bearing structural components with achieving wrought-like microstructure and mechanical properties.