Effect of Laser Parameters on Fracture Properties of Laser-Repaired Cracks with Micro/NanoMaterial Addition: Multiscale Analysis

Abstract

In laser crack repair processes, laser parameters have significant influence on repair quality. Improper combination of laser process parameters may result in defects—such as porosity, ablation, and coarse grain size—in remelted zones. A trans-scale computational model is established by combining crystal plasticity finite elements and variable-node finite elements. The influence of microstructure characteristics such as grain size and porosity of the repair layer on the cumulative plastic slip (CPS) on the dominant slip system at the meso-scale and the J-integral at the macro-scale is studied to explore the effect of laser process parameters on repair quality. The results show that when the laser power is 1800 W and the heating time is 0.5 s, the grain size and porosity of the repaired specimen are the smallest. The J-integral of the repaired specimen is more than 8% smaller than that of the unrepaired specimen and about 3% smaller than that of the repaired specimen, with a laser power of 2000 W and a heating time of 1 s. Pores increase the CPS of the crystal around the pores, especially when a pore have sharp corners. Selecting appropriate laser process parameters can not only refine grain size but also reduce the volume fraction of pores and thus reduce the J-integral and eventually improve repair quality of repaired specimens. The study investigates the relationship of process parameter–microstructure–repair quality in the laser repair process and provides a method for studying the mechanical behavior of materials at macro and micro scales.