Experimental Investigation on Selective Laser Melting of Bulk Net-Shape Pure Magnesium

Abstract

In this study, bulk net-shape pure magnesium was fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). Effects of Mg particle size and processing parameters on the properties of SLM specimens were investigated. The scan speed and laser power were optimized based on macro-observation of the forming process and resulted specimens. Through the comparison analysis of topology, density, and micro-hardness, it was found that the bulk magnesium specimen made of −250 mesh powder showed better results than that made of −400 mesh powder. The relative densities of both SLM specimens were over 95%, and their micro-hardness values were higher than that of as-cast magnesium. It was also revealed that the scanning time interval (STI), as a relatively new processing parameter, had an obvious effect on the properties of SLM bulk magnesium in terms of surface morphology, roughness, and micro-hardness.