Effect of Zr and Sc additions on coarsening- and creep resistance of AlSi10Mg fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

Ismael E. Coello; Jennifer A. Glerum; Clement N. Ekaputra; Jon Erik Mogonye; David C. Dunand

doi:10.1016/j.addma.2025.104707

Effect of Zr and Sc additions on coarsening- and creep resistance of AlSi10Mg fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

Ismael E. Coello, Jennifer A. Glerum, Clement N. Ekaputra, Jon Erik Mogonye, David C. Dunand

Alloy Behavior & Design

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

Abstract

Microstructure and creep properties are studied in a eutectic AlSi10Mg alloy modified with Zr and Sc additions (Al-9.8Si-0.32Mg-0.70Zr-0.23Sc, wt%) manufactured through laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF). Three types of Zr/Sc-bearing powders - elemental, master-alloy, and pre-alloyed - are employed in the fabrication process, with the pre-alloyed powders providing the highest incorporation of Zr and Sc in the Al matrix. The as-printed alloy exhibits a fine cellular Al-Si eutectic structure which fragments and coarsens into micron-sized Si particles during aging at 300 ºC, leading to a steady drop in alloy microhardness between 0.1 and 1000 h. Coarsening of the eutectic Si phase during aging is not measurably affected by Zr and Sc in solid solution, which precipitate during aging and increases strength, compensating weakening from Si coarsening between 1 and 200 h at 300 ºC. Atom-probe analysis in the peak-aged condition (96 h/300 °C) confirms the presence of Al₃(Sc,Zr) secondary nano-precipitates with an average radius of 1.0 nm and some Si solubility. Micron-sized grains are present throughout the alloy, with ultra-fine-grained regions at the melt pool boundaries, neither of which coarsen during long-term aging at 300 ºC. Under creep conditions at 300 °C, the Zr/Sc-bearing alloy with Al₃(Sc,Zr) nano-precipitates exhibits power-law behavior, with a high apparent stress exponent (n_a = 9) and a high threshold stress (σ_th = 43 MPa), exhibiting nearly double the strength of a Zr/Sc-free AlSi10Mg control alloy (σ_th = 22 MPa).

Original language	English
Article number	104707
Journal	Additive Manufacturing
Volume	101
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2025.104707
State	Published - Mar 5 2025

Funding

IEC was funded by DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and was accomplished under the award W911NF-21\u20132\u20130199 and W911NF-20\u20132\u20130292. 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. The work also 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\u20130400798, N00014\u20130610539, N00014\u20130910781, N00014\u20131712870) 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. JAG contributed to this work under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52\u201307NA27344. The authors thank Dr. Jovid Rakhmonov for instrument training and helpful discussions. The authors would also like to thank Aaron Merritt for help with the production of master-alloy powders. 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. The work also made use of the EPIC facility of Northwestern University\u2019s NUANCE center, which has received support from the ShyNE Resource (NSF ECCS-2025633), the IIN, and Northwestern\u2019s 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. JAG contributed to this work under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The authors thank Dr. Jovid Rakhmonov for instrument training and helpful discussions. The authors would also like to thank Aaron Merritt for help with the production of master-alloy powders. IEC was funded by DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and was accomplished under the award W911NF-21-2-0199 and W911NF-20-2-0292 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.

Keywords

AlSi10Mg
Aluminum alloys
Creep
Eutectic
High-temperature aging
L1
Powder processing

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10.1016/j.addma.2025.104707

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title = "Effect of Zr and Sc additions on coarsening- and creep resistance of AlSi10Mg fabricated by laser powder bed fusion",

abstract = "Microstructure and creep properties are studied in a eutectic AlSi10Mg alloy modified with Zr and Sc additions (Al-9.8Si-0.32Mg-0.70Zr-0.23Sc, wt%) manufactured through laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF). Three types of Zr/Sc-bearing powders - elemental, master-alloy, and pre-alloyed - are employed in the fabrication process, with the pre-alloyed powders providing the highest incorporation of Zr and Sc in the Al matrix. The as-printed alloy exhibits a fine cellular Al-Si eutectic structure which fragments and coarsens into micron-sized Si particles during aging at 300 ºC, leading to a steady drop in alloy microhardness between 0.1 and 1000 h. Coarsening of the eutectic Si phase during aging is not measurably affected by Zr and Sc in solid solution, which precipitate during aging and increases strength, compensating weakening from Si coarsening between 1 and 200 h at 300 ºC. Atom-probe analysis in the peak-aged condition (96 h/300 °C) confirms the presence of Al3(Sc,Zr) secondary nano-precipitates with an average radius of 1.0 nm and some Si solubility. Micron-sized grains are present throughout the alloy, with ultra-fine-grained regions at the melt pool boundaries, neither of which coarsen during long-term aging at 300 ºC. Under creep conditions at 300 °C, the Zr/Sc-bearing alloy with Al3(Sc,Zr) nano-precipitates exhibits power-law behavior, with a high apparent stress exponent (na = 9) and a high threshold stress (σth = 43 MPa), exhibiting nearly double the strength of a Zr/Sc-free AlSi10Mg control alloy (σth = 22 MPa).",

keywords = "AlSi10Mg, Aluminum alloys, Creep, Eutectic, High-temperature aging, L1, Powder processing",

author = "Coello, {Ismael E.} and Glerum, {Jennifer A.} and Ekaputra, {Clement N.} and Mogonye, {Jon Erik} and Dunand, {David C.}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.addma.2025.104707",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of Zr and Sc additions on coarsening- and creep resistance of AlSi10Mg fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

AU - Coello, Ismael E.

AU - Glerum, Jennifer A.

AU - Ekaputra, Clement N.

AU - Mogonye, Jon Erik

AU - Dunand, David C.

PY - 2025/3/5

Y1 - 2025/3/5

N2 - Microstructure and creep properties are studied in a eutectic AlSi10Mg alloy modified with Zr and Sc additions (Al-9.8Si-0.32Mg-0.70Zr-0.23Sc, wt%) manufactured through laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF). Three types of Zr/Sc-bearing powders - elemental, master-alloy, and pre-alloyed - are employed in the fabrication process, with the pre-alloyed powders providing the highest incorporation of Zr and Sc in the Al matrix. The as-printed alloy exhibits a fine cellular Al-Si eutectic structure which fragments and coarsens into micron-sized Si particles during aging at 300 ºC, leading to a steady drop in alloy microhardness between 0.1 and 1000 h. Coarsening of the eutectic Si phase during aging is not measurably affected by Zr and Sc in solid solution, which precipitate during aging and increases strength, compensating weakening from Si coarsening between 1 and 200 h at 300 ºC. Atom-probe analysis in the peak-aged condition (96 h/300 °C) confirms the presence of Al3(Sc,Zr) secondary nano-precipitates with an average radius of 1.0 nm and some Si solubility. Micron-sized grains are present throughout the alloy, with ultra-fine-grained regions at the melt pool boundaries, neither of which coarsen during long-term aging at 300 ºC. Under creep conditions at 300 °C, the Zr/Sc-bearing alloy with Al3(Sc,Zr) nano-precipitates exhibits power-law behavior, with a high apparent stress exponent (na = 9) and a high threshold stress (σth = 43 MPa), exhibiting nearly double the strength of a Zr/Sc-free AlSi10Mg control alloy (σth = 22 MPa).

AB - Microstructure and creep properties are studied in a eutectic AlSi10Mg alloy modified with Zr and Sc additions (Al-9.8Si-0.32Mg-0.70Zr-0.23Sc, wt%) manufactured through laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF). Three types of Zr/Sc-bearing powders - elemental, master-alloy, and pre-alloyed - are employed in the fabrication process, with the pre-alloyed powders providing the highest incorporation of Zr and Sc in the Al matrix. The as-printed alloy exhibits a fine cellular Al-Si eutectic structure which fragments and coarsens into micron-sized Si particles during aging at 300 ºC, leading to a steady drop in alloy microhardness between 0.1 and 1000 h. Coarsening of the eutectic Si phase during aging is not measurably affected by Zr and Sc in solid solution, which precipitate during aging and increases strength, compensating weakening from Si coarsening between 1 and 200 h at 300 ºC. Atom-probe analysis in the peak-aged condition (96 h/300 °C) confirms the presence of Al3(Sc,Zr) secondary nano-precipitates with an average radius of 1.0 nm and some Si solubility. Micron-sized grains are present throughout the alloy, with ultra-fine-grained regions at the melt pool boundaries, neither of which coarsen during long-term aging at 300 ºC. Under creep conditions at 300 °C, the Zr/Sc-bearing alloy with Al3(Sc,Zr) nano-precipitates exhibits power-law behavior, with a high apparent stress exponent (na = 9) and a high threshold stress (σth = 43 MPa), exhibiting nearly double the strength of a Zr/Sc-free AlSi10Mg control alloy (σth = 22 MPa).

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KW - Aluminum alloys

KW - Creep

KW - Eutectic

KW - High-temperature aging

KW - L1

KW - Powder processing

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DO - 10.1016/j.addma.2025.104707

M3 - Article

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SN - 2214-8604

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JF - Additive Manufacturing

M1 - 104707

ER -

Effect of Zr and Sc additions on coarsening- and creep resistance of AlSi10Mg fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

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