Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM) has the ability to print structures with site-specific properties. Existing AM approaches for site-specific properties are, however, based on complex processing-microstructure relationships in conventional alloys that were not designed for this purpose. Here, we report a straightforward approach for achieving site-specific properties that takes advantage of eutectic solidification characteristics. We demonstrate that the yield strength of a eutectic Al-Cu-Ce-Zr alloy can be tuned by varying the laser scan speed in concert with hatch spacing in laser powder bed fusion AM. A faster speed increases solidification rate resulting in finer eutectic spacing and higher strength. The hatch spacing is reduced at faster speeds to ensure overlap between melt pools which become smaller with increasing scan speed. The yield strength and its anisotropy relative to build direction are further tunable with a heat treatment. The scan speed-eutectic spacing-strength relationship is successfully applied to print a complex pattern of site-specific hardness in the alloy. The generalized principle of using AM for a eutectic alloy to create site-specific properties and anisotropy in properties is demonstrated.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 103551 |
Journal | Additive Manufacturing |
Volume | 70 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 25 2023 |
Funding
Research was jointly sponsored by Advanced Manufacturing Office and Vehicle Technologies Office , Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy , U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . APT research was supported by the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), which is a US Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The authors would like to thank James Burns for assistance in performing APT sample preparation and running the APT experiments, Sarah Graham, Victoria Cox, and Colton O'Dell for metallographic preparation, and Dana McClurg for heat treatments. The authors are also thankful to Sudarsanam S. Babu and Christopher Fancher for reviewing the manuscript.
Funders | Funder number |
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Advanced Manufacturing Office and Vehicle Technologies Office | |
Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences | |
U.S. Department of Energy | |
Office of Science | |
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy | |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
Keywords
- Aluminum alloys
- Anisotropy
- Eutectic solidification
- Site-specific properties
- Tensile behavior