AA5083 (Al–Mg) plates produced by wire-and-arc additive manufacturing: effect of specimen orientation on microstructure and tensile properties

Among various additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, wire-and-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is one of the most suitable for the production of large-scale metallic components, also suggesting possible applications in the construction field. Several research activities have been devoted to the WAAM of steels and titanium alloys and, recently, the application of WAAM to aluminum alloys has also been explored. This paper presents the microstructural and mechanical characterization of WAAM plates produced using a commercial ER 5183 aluminum welding wire. The aim is to evaluate the possible anisotropic behavior under tensile stress of planar elements, considering three different extraction directions in relation to the deposition layer: longitudinal (L), transversal (T) and diagonal (D). Compositional, morphological, microstructural and fractographic analyses were carried out to relate the specific microstructural features induced by WAAM to the tensile properties. An anisotropic behavior was found in regard to the specimen orientation, with the lowest strength and ductility found on T specimens. Reasoning to this was found in the presence of microstructural discontinuities unfavorably oriented with regard to the tensile direction. The results of tensile tests also highlighted an overall good mechanical behavior, comparable to that of conventional AA5083-O sheets, suggesting future use in the realization of very complex geometries and optimized shapes for lightweight structural applications.