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In this study, we analyzed the mechanical properties of selectively laser melted (SLM) steel obtained via different modifications during and after the manufacturing process. The aim was to determine the effects of precipitation heat treatment on the mechanical properties of elements additively manufactured using three different process parameters. Some samples were additionally obtained using hot isostatic pressing (HIP), while some were treated using two different types of heat treatment and a combination of those two processes. From each manufactured sample, a part of the material was taken for structural analysis including residual stress analysis and microstructural investigations. In the second part of the research, the mechanical properties were studied to define the scleronomic hardness of the samples. Finally, tensile tests were conducted using a digital image correlation (DIC) test and fracture analysis. The treated samples were found to be significantly elongated, thus indicating the advantages of using precipitation heat treatment. Additionally, precipitation heat treatment was found to increase the porosity of samples, which was the opposite compared to HIP-treated samples.

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The paper is a project continuation of the examination of the additive-manufactured 316L steel obtained using different process parameters and subjected to different types of heat treatment. This work contains a significant part of the research results connected with material analysis after low-cycle fatigue testing, including fatigue calculations for plastic metals based on the Morrow equation and fractures analysis. The main aim of this research was to point out the main differences in material fracture directly after the process and analyze how heat treatment affects material behavior during low-cycle fatigue testing. The mentioned tests were run under conditions of constant total strain amplitudes equal to 0.30%, 0.35%, 0.40%, 0.45%, and 0.50%. The conducted research showed different material behaviors after heat treatment (more similar to conventionally made material) and a negative influence of precipitation heat treatment of more porous additive manufactured materials during low-cycle fatigue testing.

In the work the research on properties of an yttria nanopowder obtained by solution combustion synthesis (SCS) in terms of its application in ceramic technology is presented. In order to characterize the SCS reaction the decomposition of yttrium nitrate, glycine and their solution was investigated using differential thermal analysis coupled with FT-IR spectrometry of the gases emitted during the measurements. The product obtained in the SCS process was characterized in terms of its microstructure, particle size distribution and BET specific surface. Although the obtained powders showed nanoscaled structures, only after calcination at a temperature of 1100 °C nanosized particles were revealed. The calcined powder occurred in an agglomerated state (cumulants mean Zave = 1.3 µm). After milling particle size was successfully decreased to Zave = 0.28 µm. The deagglomerated powder was isostatically densified and tested for sintering ability. The obtained nanopowder showed very high sintering activity as the shrinkage onset was detected already at a temperature of about 1150 °C.

The paper presents experimental results of the work conducted to improve the adhesion between alumina ceramics and urea-urethane elastomer in the interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs), in which these two phases are interpenetrating three-dimensionally and topologically throughout the microstructure. Measurements of the contact angle, surface roughness, and shear tests were used to evaluate the effectivity and select the quantity of a silane coupling agent and the ceramic fabrication method. The tests were conducted using samples of dense alumina ceramic obtained by three- or four-step methods. In the four-step process, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was applied additionally. As a result of the coupling agent coat and HIP application, the ceramic substrate wettability by the elastomer was improved. The water contact angle was reduced from 80 to 60%. In the next step, porous ceramic preforms were fabricated using HIP sintering and a solution of silane coupling agent treated their surface. The composites were produced using vacuum-pressure infiltration of porous alumina ceramics by urea-urethane elastomer in liquid form. The influence of the coupling agent application on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was estimated. The microstructure of the composites was identified using SEM microscopy and X-ray tomography. As a result of using the coupling agent, residual porosity decreased from 7 to 2%, and compressive strength, as well as stress at a plateau, increased by more than 20%, from 25 to 33 MPa and from 15 to 24 MPa, respectively, for the composites fabricated by infiltration ceramic preforms with 40% of porosity.

Industries that rely on additive manufacturing of metallic elements, especially biomedical companies, require material science-based knowledge of how process parameters and methods affect element properties, but such phenomena are incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the influence of selective laser melting (SLM) process parameters and additional heat treatment on mechanical properties. The research included structural analysis of residual stress, microstructure, and scleronomic hardness in low-depth measurements. Tensile tests with element deformation analysis using digital image correlation (DIC) were performed as well. Experiment results showed it was possible to observe the porosity growth mechanism and its influence on material strength. Elements manufactured with 20% lower energy density had almost half the elongation, which was directly connected with porosity growth during energy density reduction. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment allowed for a significant reduction of porosity and helped achieve properties similar to elements manufactured using different levels of energy density.

The fabrication process of transparent YAG (Y 3 Al 5 O 12 ) ceramics with an emphasis on examination of the sintering process and microstructural analysis is reported herein. Nanometric powder with an equivalent spherical diameter d BET = 60 nm consists mainly of hexagonal YAP phase (YAlO 3 ). According to sintering analysis carried out using a dilatometer and high-temperature XRD analysis, the phase composition and phase transformation taking place at elevated temperatures accompany the sintering process and the fastest sintering rate was observed at temperatures of YAG formation. Based on the dilatometric and XRD analyses vs temperature, three temperatures were selected for pressureless sintering. Presintered samples were subjected to sintering under isostatic pressure using a hot isostatic pressing, after which transparent YAG was obtained. The best results were obtained for samples presintered at a relatively low temperature of 1600°C, and for thus obtained sample, the in-line transmittance was 64% at k = 808 nm.