Coarsening- and creep behavior of supersaturated Al-Zr-X (X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, W) alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion

Clement N. Ekaputra; Ekin Senvardarli; Christian Leinenbach; David C. Dunand

doi:10.1016/j.addma.2026.105145

Coarsening- and creep behavior of supersaturated Al-Zr-X (X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, W) alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion

Clement N. Ekaputra
, Ekin Senvardarli
, Christian Leinenbach
, David C. Dunand

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

Abstract

We characterize the high-temperature microstructural evolution and creep properties of binary Al-0.4Zr and ternary Al-0.4Zr-1X (at%) alloys fabricated by laser-powder bed fusion ( L -PBF), where X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W are slow-diffusing transition metals added for solid-solution strengthening. All alloys contain strengthening L1₂-Al₃Zr nanoprecipitates which form during aging at 400°C. In the as-fabricated alloys, the ternary solute is nearly all in solid solution in the Mn- and Cr-containing alloys, and partially in solution in the V-, Mo-, and W-containing alloys, but still in amounts well beyond the equilibrium solubility limit for these elements. Solid solutions of the ternary solutes decompose during long-term aging at 400°C to form binary Al-X precipitates. The relative rates of precipitation of these elements are consistent with their relative diffusivities in Al: the precipitation rate is fastest for Mn, followed by Cr, then V, Mo, and W (the latter three elements remain almost entirely in solid solution after 2016 h exposure at 400°C). Nevertheless, the strengthening contribution from the ternary solute at room temperature does not significantly differ among the five studied alloys or as a function of aging time at 400°C, indicating a stable strengthening contribution from Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W in Al. During creep deformation at 400°C, all ternary alloys show significantly higher creep resistance than a binary Al-Zr alloy. Furthermore, their creep resistance is comparable to those of additively-manufactured alloys with significantly higher volume fractions of strengthening phases.

Original language	English
Article number	105145
Journal	Additive Manufacturing
Volume	121
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2026.105145
State	Published - Apr 5 2026
Externally published	Yes

Funding

CNE was supported by the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Research Associateship Program (RAP) and the ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship. The authors thank Dr. Jon-Erik Mogonye (U.S. Army Research Laboratory) for useful discussions. CNE thanks Mr. Benjamin Minnig, Dr. Marc Leparoux, Mr. Antonios Baganis, Dr. Rafal Wrobel, Dr. Marvin Schuster, Dr. Irene Ferretto, and Ms. Alexandra Lau (Empa- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Research and Technology) for technical support and training. CNE thanks Dr. Dieter Isheim (NU) for assistance in analyzing atom-probe tomography data, and Dr. Sumit Kewelramani (NU) for XRD assistance. CNE was supported by the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Research Associateship Program (RAP). Research was sponsored by the Army Research Laboratory and was accomplished under Cooperative Agreement Number W911NF-20–2–0292 and W911NF-21–2–02199. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Army Research Laboratory of the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation herein. This work made use of the MatCI Facility which receives support from the MRSEC Program (NSF DMR-2308691) of the Materials Research Center at Northwestern University. This work made use of the CLaMMP Facility which receives support from the MRSEC Program (NSF DMR-2308691) of the Materials Research Center at Northwestern University. This work made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University’s NUANCE Center, which has received support from the SHyNE Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633), the IIN, and Northwestern's MRSEC program (NSF DMR-2308691). Atom-probe tomography was performed at the Northwestern University Center for Atom-Probe Tomography (NUCAPT). The LEAP tomograph at NUCAPT was purchased and upgraded with grants from the NSF-MRI (DMR-0420532) and ONR-DURIP (N00014–0400798, N00014–0610539, N00014–0910781, N00014–1712870) programs. NUCAPT received support from the MRSEC program (NSF DMR-1720139) at the Materials Research Center, the SHyNE Resource (NSF ECCS-1542205), and the Initiative for Sustainability and Energy (ISEN) at Northwestern University. This work made use of the Jerome B.Cohen X-Ray Diffraction Facility supported by the MRSEC program of the National Science Foundation (DMR-2308691) at the Materials Research Center of Northwestern University and the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633.)

Keywords

Aluminum alloys
Creep
High temperature
Laser powder bed fusion
Mechanical properties

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10.1016/j.addma.2026.105145

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@article{044625f8d25549ed8842b9dcdc5d33a0,

title = "Coarsening- and creep behavior of supersaturated Al-Zr-X (X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, W) alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion",

abstract = "We characterize the high-temperature microstructural evolution and creep properties of binary Al-0.4Zr and ternary Al-0.4Zr-1X (at\%) alloys fabricated by laser-powder bed fusion ( L -PBF), where X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W are slow-diffusing transition metals added for solid-solution strengthening. All alloys contain strengthening L12-Al3Zr nanoprecipitates which form during aging at 400°C. In the as-fabricated alloys, the ternary solute is nearly all in solid solution in the Mn- and Cr-containing alloys, and partially in solution in the V-, Mo-, and W-containing alloys, but still in amounts well beyond the equilibrium solubility limit for these elements. Solid solutions of the ternary solutes decompose during long-term aging at 400°C to form binary Al-X precipitates. The relative rates of precipitation of these elements are consistent with their relative diffusivities in Al: the precipitation rate is fastest for Mn, followed by Cr, then V, Mo, and W (the latter three elements remain almost entirely in solid solution after 2016 h exposure at 400°C). Nevertheless, the strengthening contribution from the ternary solute at room temperature does not significantly differ among the five studied alloys or as a function of aging time at 400°C, indicating a stable strengthening contribution from Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W in Al. During creep deformation at 400°C, all ternary alloys show significantly higher creep resistance than a binary Al-Zr alloy. Furthermore, their creep resistance is comparable to those of additively-manufactured alloys with significantly higher volume fractions of strengthening phases.",

keywords = "Aluminum alloys, Creep, High temperature, Laser powder bed fusion, Mechanical properties",

author = "Ekaputra, \{Clement N.\} and Ekin Senvardarli and Christian Leinenbach and Dunand, \{David C.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2026. Published by Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2026",

month = apr,

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doi = "10.1016/j.addma.2026.105145",

language = "English",

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T1 - Coarsening- and creep behavior of supersaturated Al-Zr-X (X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, W) alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion

AU - Ekaputra, Clement N.

AU - Senvardarli, Ekin

AU - Leinenbach, Christian

AU - Dunand, David C.

PY - 2026/4/5

Y1 - 2026/4/5

N2 - We characterize the high-temperature microstructural evolution and creep properties of binary Al-0.4Zr and ternary Al-0.4Zr-1X (at%) alloys fabricated by laser-powder bed fusion ( L -PBF), where X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W are slow-diffusing transition metals added for solid-solution strengthening. All alloys contain strengthening L12-Al3Zr nanoprecipitates which form during aging at 400°C. In the as-fabricated alloys, the ternary solute is nearly all in solid solution in the Mn- and Cr-containing alloys, and partially in solution in the V-, Mo-, and W-containing alloys, but still in amounts well beyond the equilibrium solubility limit for these elements. Solid solutions of the ternary solutes decompose during long-term aging at 400°C to form binary Al-X precipitates. The relative rates of precipitation of these elements are consistent with their relative diffusivities in Al: the precipitation rate is fastest for Mn, followed by Cr, then V, Mo, and W (the latter three elements remain almost entirely in solid solution after 2016 h exposure at 400°C). Nevertheless, the strengthening contribution from the ternary solute at room temperature does not significantly differ among the five studied alloys or as a function of aging time at 400°C, indicating a stable strengthening contribution from Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W in Al. During creep deformation at 400°C, all ternary alloys show significantly higher creep resistance than a binary Al-Zr alloy. Furthermore, their creep resistance is comparable to those of additively-manufactured alloys with significantly higher volume fractions of strengthening phases.

AB - We characterize the high-temperature microstructural evolution and creep properties of binary Al-0.4Zr and ternary Al-0.4Zr-1X (at%) alloys fabricated by laser-powder bed fusion ( L -PBF), where X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W are slow-diffusing transition metals added for solid-solution strengthening. All alloys contain strengthening L12-Al3Zr nanoprecipitates which form during aging at 400°C. In the as-fabricated alloys, the ternary solute is nearly all in solid solution in the Mn- and Cr-containing alloys, and partially in solution in the V-, Mo-, and W-containing alloys, but still in amounts well beyond the equilibrium solubility limit for these elements. Solid solutions of the ternary solutes decompose during long-term aging at 400°C to form binary Al-X precipitates. The relative rates of precipitation of these elements are consistent with their relative diffusivities in Al: the precipitation rate is fastest for Mn, followed by Cr, then V, Mo, and W (the latter three elements remain almost entirely in solid solution after 2016 h exposure at 400°C). Nevertheless, the strengthening contribution from the ternary solute at room temperature does not significantly differ among the five studied alloys or as a function of aging time at 400°C, indicating a stable strengthening contribution from Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and W in Al. During creep deformation at 400°C, all ternary alloys show significantly higher creep resistance than a binary Al-Zr alloy. Furthermore, their creep resistance is comparable to those of additively-manufactured alloys with significantly higher volume fractions of strengthening phases.

KW - Aluminum alloys

KW - Creep

KW - High temperature

KW - Laser powder bed fusion

KW - Mechanical properties

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105032177707

U2 - 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105145

DO - 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105145

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105032177707

SN - 2214-8604

VL - 121

JO - Additive Manufacturing

JF - Additive Manufacturing

M1 - 105145

ER -

Coarsening- and creep behavior of supersaturated Al-Zr-X (X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, W) alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion

Abstract

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Coarsening- and creep behavior of supersaturated Al-Zr-X (X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, W) alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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Coarsening- and creep behavior of supersaturated Al-Zr-X (X = Mn, Cr, V, Mo, W) alloys processed by laser powder-bed fusion