Fracture behavior of double edge notch AlSi10Mg alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

In the present study, the fracture behavior of additively manufactured (AM) metal parts has been investigated. To this aim, double edge notch tension (DENT) specimens have been printed using AlSi10Mg alloy based on the laser powder bed fusion (PBF) technique. Particularly, DENT specimens have been fabricated with three different ligament lengths and three different printing directions for each ligament length. In this study, we used the concept of essential work of fracture to describe the fracture behavior AMed parts. According to a series of tests under static loading conditions, influences of the ligament length and printing direction on the structural integrity of the DENT specimens have been determined. According to the experimental practices, levels of ductility and size of plastic zone in the ligament region have been documented. Here, we utilized digital image correlation technique to measure strain fields on the surface of the examined samples. Moreover, numerical simulations have been conducted to simulate the stress distribution from DENT specimens. In addition, visual inspection of the fracture surfaces has been conducted using a free-angle observation system. The outcome of this study can be used for future designs of PBF printed parts with a better structural performance.