MagNeutron - Texture analysis by neutron diffraction in magnesium alloys
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | SWERIM AB - Materialutveckling |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 383 165 |
| Project duration | May 2020 - December 2021 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Research infrastructure - utilisation and collaboration |
| Call | Increasing PhD students' competence in neutron- and synchroton-based analysis methods in industry - spring 2020 |
| End-of-project report | 2020-00828_Uppsala universitet o Swerim-Hanna Nilsson Åhman.pdf (pdf, 178 kB) |
Important results from the project
Magnesium alloys, which can be 3D-printed, likely compose future degradable implants. The project aimed to understand how material texture is affected by laser powder bed fusion (which is the dominant 3D-print technology for metals). The texture in turn affect mechanical and corrosion properties. A better understanding was achieved through experiments carried out within project. For example, residual stress measurements was performed using neutron diffraction. As a results, we discovered that the residual stresses were greater near the surfaces of the 3D-printed material.
Expected long term effects
Better understanding means that the process (including feedstock and post-processing) can be optimized to slow the degradation of 3D-printed magnesium alloys, which currently is too fast. The project gave us new ideas, such a corroding samples while monitoring the effect (and development) of residual stresses and texture. This experiment can only be performed at large-scale infrastructure. In the long run, the completed project can lead to 3D-printed degradable implants. Among other things, we will then enable a completely degradable version of one of OssDsign´s products.
Approach and implementation
Larger crack-free samples, suitable for neutron experiments, were produced successfully. We performed neutron imaging and diffraction at the POLDI beamline of the SINQ facility (at PSI). With permission from Vinnova, we extended the scope of the project to photons. We performed also synchrotron XRD (using photons) at the P61a beamline of Petra III. 12 samples with varying hatch and scanning strategies (67° and 45° scan rotation between layers) were evaluated at both facilities. The results were compared with a stress relieved conditions.