Development of light weight high strength aluminum alloy for selective laser melting

Abstract

Additive manufacturing not only offers the ability of constructing complex structural components but also creating strong and more durable parts than any other existing fabrication methods. In addition, it opens a novel research direction in developing new materials specifically for additive manufacturing beside the current wrought and cast materials. The present research attempted to produce an aluminum–magnesium–scandium alloy for selective laser melting. Nearly full dense samples were achieved through the process optimization. Significantly high mechanical strengths as-printed condition (450 MPa) with high ductility (26%) were obtained. This could be explained through super-fine and hierarchically graded microstructure and the formation of rod bundles in the melt-pool.

Keywords

• Additive manufacturing
• Metal powder
• Selective laser melting