Thermal-Induced Intragranular Residual Stresses in LPBF AlSi10Mg and Their Impact on Mechanical Response

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ekaterina Dymnich
Varvara Romanova
Valeriy Shakhidzhanov
Vasiliy Balokhonov
Anzhelika Borodina
Ruslan Balokhonov
Panin Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, 634055, Russia
10.22055/jacm.2026.49339.5910
Abstract
This numerical study investigates the effect of thermal cycling inherent to laser powder bed fusion on the type III residual stresses and the deformation behavior of an AlSi10Mg alloy at the microscale. Microstructure-based finite element models representing sub-grain cellular-dendritic structures with continuous and discontinuous Si-rich networks are developed from experimental data. The eutectic network morphology strongly governs stress redistribution, strain localization, and the formation of type III residual stresses. A continuous Si-rich network promotes higher residual stresses, generating stress levels approximately 40% greater than those in a discontinuous network, and more distributed plastic strain. A discontinuous network leads to pronounced plastic strain localization between silicon particles. Subsequent tensile simulations demonstrate that plastic strain pre-accumulated during thermal cycling increases flow stress and reduces ductility. The results provide a mechanistic explanation of anisotropic mechanical behavior of an LPBF AlSi10Mg alloy and highlight the critical role of sub-grain microstructural morphology in material performance.
Keywords
Laser powder bed fusion
Si-rich eutectic
Type III residual stresses
Thermal cycling
Micromechanics
Subjects

Publisher’s Note Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Journal of Applied and Computational Mechanics

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 24 June 2026