An investigation into the effect of process parameters on melt pool geometry, cell spacing, and grain refinement during laser powder bed fusion

An applied energy density approach defined as the ratio of laser power and scanning velocity is often used as a guideline for selecting appropriate process parameters in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). In this study, amongst the many variables related to input energy, we investigate the effectiveness of laser energy density (LED) on the melt pool geometry and microstructure of Hastelloy X single tracks produced by fixed LED values at different laser powers and scanning velocities. The results reveal that for a fixed LED, the higher laser power has a higher effect on the melt pool depth. In addition, compared to the scanning velocity, laser power has a higher influence on the melt pool geometry. Moreover, it is proposed that the finer cell structure observed in the melt pool of high laser power is due to the higher cooling rates. Finally, the higher number of new grains observed in melt pools created with higher laser power and fixed LED are likely due to the grain detachment caused by the increase in the partially melted particles.