Additively manufactured novel Al-Cu-Sc-Zr alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Priyanka Agrawal; Sanya Gupta; Saket Thapliyal; Shivakant Shukla; Ravi Sankar Haridas; Rajiv S. Mishra

doi:10.1016/j.addma.2020.101623

Additively manufactured novel Al-Cu-Sc-Zr alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Priyanka Agrawal, Sanya Gupta, Saket Thapliyal, Shivakant Shukla, Ravi Sankar Haridas, Rajiv S. Mishra

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

An in-depth understanding of microstructure and resultant properties is paramount in the design of a novel alloy system, especially for additive manufacturing (AM). The present investigation aims to characterize a prototypical AM Al alloy with great potential for structural applications. An Al-1.5Cu-0.8Sc-0.4Zr alloy designed using integrated computational material engineering was printed using the laser powder bed fusion AM process. This novel alloy shows promising combination of strength and ductility in as-built and peak-aged conditions. This improvement in the tensile properties is attributed to the presence of both coherent L1₂ Al₃Sc/Al₃(Sc,Zr) precipitates and Cu-rich regions. The microstructures were studied via extensive microscopy at different length scales using X-ray microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Fractography revealed that the columnar grain boundaries in as-built condition allow easy slip transfer as compared to the equiaxed grains, with the apex of the melt pool acting as the crack nucleation site. However, the peak aged condition resulted in improved strength while marginally sacrificing ductility due to precipitates decorating dislocations, grain boundaries and melt pool boundaries thus acting as obstacles to slip transfer.

Original language	English
Article number	101623
Journal	Additive Manufacturing
Volume	37
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101623
State	Published - Jan 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The work was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), USA under the ONR Award #N00014-17-1-2559. The authors thank the Materials Research Facility (MRF) and Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes Institute (AMMPI) at the University of North Texas for access to the microscopy facilities. The authors also thank Amalia Siller and Patrick Toll for preparing the samples for testing and microscopy.

Keywords

Additive manufacturing
Aluminum alloys
Fractography
Texture
X-ray microscopy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.addma.2020.101623

Cite this

@article{1a7e7f8b855444f2ad44ee0edeb9e8f6,

title = "Additively manufactured novel Al-Cu-Sc-Zr alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties",

abstract = "An in-depth understanding of microstructure and resultant properties is paramount in the design of a novel alloy system, especially for additive manufacturing (AM). The present investigation aims to characterize a prototypical AM Al alloy with great potential for structural applications. An Al-1.5Cu-0.8Sc-0.4Zr alloy designed using integrated computational material engineering was printed using the laser powder bed fusion AM process. This novel alloy shows promising combination of strength and ductility in as-built and peak-aged conditions. This improvement in the tensile properties is attributed to the presence of both coherent L12 Al3Sc/Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates and Cu-rich regions. The microstructures were studied via extensive microscopy at different length scales using X-ray microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Fractography revealed that the columnar grain boundaries in as-built condition allow easy slip transfer as compared to the equiaxed grains, with the apex of the melt pool acting as the crack nucleation site. However, the peak aged condition resulted in improved strength while marginally sacrificing ductility due to precipitates decorating dislocations, grain boundaries and melt pool boundaries thus acting as obstacles to slip transfer.",

keywords = "Additive manufacturing, Aluminum alloys, Fractography, Texture, X-ray microscopy",

author = "Priyanka Agrawal and Sanya Gupta and Saket Thapliyal and Shivakant Shukla and Haridas, {Ravi Sankar} and Mishra, {Rajiv S.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2021",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.addma.2020.101623",

language = "English",

volume = "37",

journal = "Additive Manufacturing",

issn = "2214-8604",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Additively manufactured novel Al-Cu-Sc-Zr alloy

T2 - Microstructure and mechanical properties

AU - Agrawal, Priyanka

AU - Gupta, Sanya

AU - Thapliyal, Saket

AU - Shukla, Shivakant

AU - Haridas, Ravi Sankar

AU - Mishra, Rajiv S.

PY - 2021/1

Y1 - 2021/1

N2 - An in-depth understanding of microstructure and resultant properties is paramount in the design of a novel alloy system, especially for additive manufacturing (AM). The present investigation aims to characterize a prototypical AM Al alloy with great potential for structural applications. An Al-1.5Cu-0.8Sc-0.4Zr alloy designed using integrated computational material engineering was printed using the laser powder bed fusion AM process. This novel alloy shows promising combination of strength and ductility in as-built and peak-aged conditions. This improvement in the tensile properties is attributed to the presence of both coherent L12 Al3Sc/Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates and Cu-rich regions. The microstructures were studied via extensive microscopy at different length scales using X-ray microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Fractography revealed that the columnar grain boundaries in as-built condition allow easy slip transfer as compared to the equiaxed grains, with the apex of the melt pool acting as the crack nucleation site. However, the peak aged condition resulted in improved strength while marginally sacrificing ductility due to precipitates decorating dislocations, grain boundaries and melt pool boundaries thus acting as obstacles to slip transfer.

AB - An in-depth understanding of microstructure and resultant properties is paramount in the design of a novel alloy system, especially for additive manufacturing (AM). The present investigation aims to characterize a prototypical AM Al alloy with great potential for structural applications. An Al-1.5Cu-0.8Sc-0.4Zr alloy designed using integrated computational material engineering was printed using the laser powder bed fusion AM process. This novel alloy shows promising combination of strength and ductility in as-built and peak-aged conditions. This improvement in the tensile properties is attributed to the presence of both coherent L12 Al3Sc/Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates and Cu-rich regions. The microstructures were studied via extensive microscopy at different length scales using X-ray microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Fractography revealed that the columnar grain boundaries in as-built condition allow easy slip transfer as compared to the equiaxed grains, with the apex of the melt pool acting as the crack nucleation site. However, the peak aged condition resulted in improved strength while marginally sacrificing ductility due to precipitates decorating dislocations, grain boundaries and melt pool boundaries thus acting as obstacles to slip transfer.

KW - Additive manufacturing

KW - Aluminum alloys

KW - Fractography

KW - Texture

KW - X-ray microscopy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095564889&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.addma.2020.101623

DO - 10.1016/j.addma.2020.101623

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85095564889

SN - 2214-8604

VL - 37

JO - Additive Manufacturing

JF - Additive Manufacturing

M1 - 101623

ER -

Additively manufactured novel Al-Cu-Sc-Zr alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this