Investigation of the impact of process parameters and thermal treatments on mechanical properties and microstructure of ScanCromAl ® manufactured via powder bed fusion laser beam process

Abstract

This study explores the processability window of a newly developed aluminium alloy for laser beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M). The impact of the volumetric energy density on the melt pool shape, microstructure, and mechanical properties of manufactured parts are evaluated. Additionally, thermal treatments are optimized to tailor precipitation hardening mechanisms. The results demonstrate the promising potential of this material, exhibiting high relative density (>99.90%) and competitive mechanical properties for the thermally treated samples (UTS ranging from 486 MPa to 514 MPa with elongation of 11–30%). EBSD analysis reveals a characteristic bimodal microstructure of fine equiaxed grains at grain boundaries and elongated coarse grains aligned along the melt pool direction. This work provides valuable insights for tailoring the processing parameters and optimizing the performance of this novel material for diverse applications.

Keywords

• Aluminium alloys
• Powder bed fusion
• Precipitation hardening
• Volumetric energy density
• Microstructural characterization
• Mechanical properties