November 10, 2026
Report
High Temperature Mechanical Performance of DED Fe-Based Alloys for Reactor Environments
Abstract
Laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) is an attractive route for fabricating and repairing high-temperature structural components in advanced nuclear energy systems. However, the rapid-solidification cellular substructure, columnar grain morphology, crystallographic texture, and non-equilibrium solute distributions intrinsic to the process complicate both mechanical qualification and the transfer of conventional heat-treatment practice from wrought product forms. In this work, LP-DED Alloy 709 (an advanced austenitic stainless steel) and LP-DED Grade 92 (a 9Cr tempered-martensitic creep-resistant steel) were examined across a matrix of post-deposition heat treatments to establish the relationship between processing, microstructure and elevated-temperature mechanical response.Published: November 10, 2026