Application of Synchrotron X-Ray Imaging and Diffraction in Additive Manufacturing: A Review

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapid prototyping technology based on the idea of discrete accumulation which offers an advantage of economically fabricating a component with complex geometries in a rapid design-to-manufacture cycle. However, various internal defects, such as balling, cracks, residual stress and porosity, are inevitably occurred during AM due to the complexity of laser/electron beam-powder interaction, rapid melting and solidification process, and microstructure evolution. The existence of porosity defects can potentially deteriorate the mechanical properties of selective laser melting (SLM) components, such as material stiffness, hardness, tensile strength, and fatigue resistance performance. Synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction are important non-destructive means to elaborately characterize the internal defect characteristics and mechanical properties of AM parts. This paper presents a review on the application of synchrotron X-ray in identifying and verifying the quality and requirement of AM parts. Defects, microstructures and mechanical properties of printed components characterized by synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction are summarized in this review. Subsequently, this paper also elaborates on the online characterization of the evolution of the microstructure during AM using synchrotron X-ray imaging, and introduces the method for measuring AM stress by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Finally, the future application of synchrotron X-ray characterization in the AM is prospected.