Investigating the deformation and microstructural evolution of laser powder-bed fusion of Hastelloy X during high temperature fatigue loading

This study investigates the fatigue behaviour of samples made by laser powder-bed fusion of Hastelloy X (LPBF-HX) with as-built and machined surface conditions at 700 °C under fully reversed strain-controlled cyclic loading. Samples with both surface conditions exhibited initially cyclic hardening followed by cyclic softening under large strain amplitude testing, where a slight continuous hardening was observed for tests with smaller strain amplitudes. The samples with machined surfaces showed longer endurance and higher stress ranges than those with as-built surfaces. Post-fatigue-test EBSD analysis showed the formation of the Goss texture and extensive local strain accumulation in the samples tested under high strain amplitude at 700 °C. Fractography investigations revealed that early crack initiation in the samples with as-built surfaces was from stress concentrations induced by valleys on the rough surface. No evidence of crack initiation induced by pre-existing defects was observed in the machined samples, and the excessive slip activity at the surface was found to be responsible for the crack initiation.