Measurement and Analysis of Porosity in Al-10Si-1Mg Components Additively Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

Aluminum alloys are candidate materials for weight critical applications because of their excellent strength and stiffness to weight ratio. However, defects such as voids decrease the strength and fatigue life of these alloys, which can limit the application of Selective Laser Melting. In this study, the average volume fraction, average size, and size distribution of pores in Al10-Si-1Mg samples built using Selective Laser Melting have been characterized. Synchrotron high energy X-rays were used to perform computed tomography on volumes of order one cubic millimeter with a resolution of approximately 1.5 mu m. Substantial variations in the pore size distributions were found as a function of process conditions. Even under conditions that ensured that all locations were melted at least once, a significant number density was found of pores above 5 mu m in diameter.