Trigonometric gradient microstructures in additively manufactured single crystals enable strength-ductility synergy and programmable performance
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Additively manufactured (AM) single crystals (SXs) show great promise for extreme-environment
applications. AM process enhances gradient microstructures around dendrites, including dislocation
densities, matrix channel width, precipitate area, and elemental concentrations. Here, we leverage a
unified trigonometric function describing all gradient microstructures in AM SXs, to quantify their
effects and enable programmable performance. We reveal that trigonometric gradient
microstructures (TGMs) can overcome strength-ductility trade-off, particularly at elevated
temperatures. In contrast, conventional gradient microstructures requiring post-treatment improve
strength at the expense of ductility. This benefit is attributed to the superposition relationship
between initial density-graded dislocations and other TGMs, rather than geometrically necessary
dislocations in conventional understanding. High-throughput simulations reveal linear correlations
between TGM intensity and mechanical properties. By mapping performance against TGMs, we can
tailor strength and elongation by tuning TGMs. This study deepens the understanding of gradient
microstructures around columnar dendrites in AM alloys and provides guidance for tailoring
mechanical properties.
applications. AM process enhances gradient microstructures around dendrites, including dislocation
densities, matrix channel width, precipitate area, and elemental concentrations. Here, we leverage a
unified trigonometric function describing all gradient microstructures in AM SXs, to quantify their
effects and enable programmable performance. We reveal that trigonometric gradient
microstructures (TGMs) can overcome strength-ductility trade-off, particularly at elevated
temperatures. In contrast, conventional gradient microstructures requiring post-treatment improve
strength at the expense of ductility. This benefit is attributed to the superposition relationship
between initial density-graded dislocations and other TGMs, rather than geometrically necessary
dislocations in conventional understanding. High-throughput simulations reveal linear correlations
between TGM intensity and mechanical properties. By mapping performance against TGMs, we can
tailor strength and elongation by tuning TGMs. This study deepens the understanding of gradient
microstructures around columnar dendrites in AM alloys and provides guidance for tailoring
mechanical properties.
Date Issued
2025-11-11
Date Acceptance
2025-09-29
Citation
Nature Communications, 2025, 16
ISSN
2041-1723
Publisher
Nature Portfolio
Journal / Book Title
Nature Communications
Volume
16
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2025 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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Publication Status
Published
Article Number
9936
Date Publish Online
2025-11-11