In our papers, the laser beam-aided control of the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in Ni Al systems for the layerwise manufacture of three-dimensional D parts was offered and experimentally realized. As for the laser in situ synthesis of NiAl and Ni Al intermetallides and their layerwise laser cladding without any visible cracks and pores, it was successfully performed later on. The present chapter is dedicated to the comparison of optimal conditions for the selective laser melting and laser direct metal deposition processes of the nickel-based powders and fabrication of a full-density, functionally graded, and crack-free structures on the maximum deposition rate for technological applications. The effects of laser parameters on the phase composition and microstructure of the resulting intermetallic samples will be discussed.The possibility of controlling to change the hardness of the gradient structures from layer to layer by changing of the powder composition and by using the reinforced intermetallic inclusions into superalloy matrix widens the range of possible applications of D parts in aerospace and nuclear industries. Comparing different methods of additive manufacturing reveals their advantages and disadvantages for making large samples, scalability, and customizability, finding ways to control the distribu- tion of residual stresses and specified grain-growth direction for the fabrication of more functional and high-precision samples.Keywords: Selective laser melting SLM , direct metal deposition DMD , nickelbased superalloy, laser-controlled reaction synthesis, functional graded FG intermetallic structures, nickel aluminide
. IntroductionThe range of use of nickel superalloys is diverse and covers gas turbines of air, sea, and road transport and industrial turbines for electro-or gas-pumping stations, rocket motors, automatic spacecrafts, and nuclear reactors. The basic units of the turbines where nickel-based superalloys could be used are combustion chambers, guide blades in nozzles, rotor blades, and turbine disks. It is known that with the temperature rise by every ° at the turbine inlet, the increase in efficiency is about %. Therefore, the determination to use these heat-resistant nickel superalloys is reasonable and well grounded [ ].In addition to heat resistance, the materials for the turbine blades are required to be creep resistive to possess lasting plasticity, resistance to gas corrosion and oxidation, high strength, fluidity, and viscosity. This is why the nickel superalloys are mainly used for turbine blades and disks.Five mechanisms are known for the strengthening of superalloys. They are solid solution, dispersion, grain boundary, deformation, and textural strengthening [ , ]. The first three ones depend on the alloy nature. In nickel-based alloys, strengthening occurs essentially by the dispersive mechanism due to the Ni Al, Ti phase release. The phase with the L Ni Al superlattice is the basis for the fabrication of the promising superalloys of a new generation on t...