Aluminum-erbium alloy powder for additive manufacturing and preparation method therefor

Abstract

Designed in the present disclosure are a high-strength aluminum-erbium alloy for additive manufacturing and a preparation method therefor. The alloy comprises: 4-20 wt% of erbium (Er); 2-10 wt% of magnesium (Mg); less than or equal to 1 wt% of manganese (Mn); optionally, 0-1 wt% of scandium (Sc); and optionally, 0-1 wt% of zirconium (Zr). In the present disclosure, in order to improve both the formability and the mechanical properties of the alloy, based on alloy composition design assisted by a phase diagram calculation method, an Al-Er eutectic system is selected to reduce a solidification interval and form a fine grain phase, and therefore the technical effects of structure refinement, no thermal cracks and good printing performance are achieved; and in particular, a continuous cellular FCC configuration Al3Er eutectic network structure with a plastic deformation capability is introduced, with a size in the order of hundreds of nanometers, and therefore both strengthening and toughening effects are achieved. The aluminum-erbium alloy has both good printing formability and comprehensive mechanical properties, and the preparation method therefor is proven, has low costs and high efficiency, and can be used for large-scale industrial production.

Description

Aluminum-erbium alloy powder for additive manufacturing and preparation method thereof

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 15, 2023, with application number 2023117382286 and invention name “A kind of aluminum-erbium alloy powder for additive manufacturing and its preparation method”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure belongs to the field of aluminum alloy smelting and relates to the component design and preparation of aluminum alloy powder, and specifically to a high-strength aluminum-erbium alloy powder for additive manufacturing and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0003] Aluminum alloy has the advantages of low density, high specific strength, and good corrosion resistance. It is an ideal structural or functional material and is widely used in aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding industries. However, traditional aluminum alloy processing methods (such as casting, forging, and powder metallurgy) have limitations in processing products and parts with complex geometric shapes. Additive manufacturing, as a layered manufacturing technology, has high design and forming freedom and low cost, providing a new way to break through the above difficulties. However, additive manufacturing is a non-equilibrium solidification process with a fast cooling rate (10 3 -10 6 K / s), large temperature gradient (~10 -6 K / m), and metallurgical defects such as hot cracking, spheroidization and pores are very likely to occur during the solidification process. Only a very small number of alloy systems are suitable for printing parts with low density, specific microstructure and high mechanical properties. The aluminum alloy system currently suitable for additive manufacturing is mainly the Al-Si eutectic system, which has a small solidification temperature range, is not easy to crack, and has good print formability, but has low strength and elongation, and its mechanical properties lack competitiveness. For example, AlSi10Mg formed by selective laser melting (SLM) has a yield strength of 300MPa, a tensile strength of 490MPa, and an elongation of only 4%. Traditional high-strength deformable aluminum alloy systems, such as 2xxx (Al-Cu-Mg) series, 6xxx (Al-Mg-Si) series and 7xxx (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) series aluminum alloys, have high alloy element content, wide solidification temperature range, and no primary heterogeneous nucleation phase. Therefore, the growth of coarse columnar crystals during printing will lead to severe periodic intergranular thermal cracks, which are not suitable for additive manufacturing processes.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an easy-to-form, high-strength, and high-plasticity aluminum alloy system suitable for the non-equilibrium rapid solidification process of additive manufacturing.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] This document describes one or more alloys and additively manufactured components, as well as methods of making and / or using the same. For example, the one or more alloys or combinations thereof can be aluminum alloys. The one or more alloys can be used for three-dimensional (3D) printing and / or additively manufactured components. Illustratively, the alloys can be combinations containing multiple materials (e.g., elements, metals, etc.).

[0007] An alloy according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes aluminum (Al), erbium (Er), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn), wherein the composition of the alloy includes 4-20 wt % of erbium (Er), 2-10 wt % of magnesium (Mg), and less than or equal to 1 wt % of manganese (Mn).

[0008] The alloy may have a yield strength of at least 440 megapascals (MPa), a tensile strength of at least 500 MPa, and / or an elongation of at least 4%.

[0009] The alloy may further optionally include at least one of scandium (Sc) and zirconium (Zr). The alloy may include 0-1 wt% of scandium or 0-1 wt% of zirconium.

[0010] The alloy may be in powder form. The alloy in powder form may be further used in an additive manufacturing process. The alloy may be a hypereutectic alloy.

[0011] Also described herein is a method of making the aluminum alloy by a rapid solidification process, such as one or more of atomization powder making, spray deposition, advection casting, melt spinning, melt extraction, beam glazing, and additive manufacturing.

[0012] Components made from the aforementioned alloys and methods of making the components are further described herein.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present disclosure has the following beneficial effects:

[0014] (1) The high-strength aluminum-erbium alloy powder disclosed in the present invention has excellent printability. Based on the Al-Er eutectic system, it has a small solidification range and a low tendency to thermal cracking. In addition, unlike other eutectic aluminum alloy systems, an additional Al3Er primary phase can be formed during the solidification process, which is coherent with the aluminum matrix and thus plays a role in refining the grains, further improving the solidification behavior and thermal cracking sensitivity of the Al-Er system. By comparing the microstructures, it can be found that the proportion of equiaxed fine grain areas in the Al-Er alloys of the various embodiments of the present invention is significantly greater than that of the Al-Ni system alloys, showing more excellent solidification characteristics.

[0015] (2) The bulk material formed by selective laser printing of the aluminum bait alloy powder disclosed herein exhibits outstanding mechanical properties. The as-printed yield strength can exceed 530 MPa, the tensile strength can exceed 550 MPa, and the elongation can exceed 10%. After simple heat treatment, the yield strength can exceed 620 MPa, the tensile strength can exceed 640 MPa, and the elongation can exceed 8%. The yield strength in both the as-printed and heat-treated states exceeds the level of all currently commercially available additively manufactured ultra-high-strength aluminum alloys.

[0016] (3) The Al3Er eutectic phase inside the bulk material formed by selective laser printing of the aluminum bait alloy powder disclosed in the present invention forms a cellular network structure, which has a significant strengthening effect.

[0017] (4) The Al3Er eutectic phase within the bulk material formed by selective laser printing of the aluminum-bait alloy powder disclosed herein contains a large number of nanotwins and 9R phases, indicating that the eutectic phase (and its constituent cellular network structure) has the ability to plastically deform, ensuring the material's strong plasticity matching. The presence of nanotwins will also enhance the strength of the eutectic network structure, thereby improving the overall strength level of the material. Furthermore, the Al3Er eutectic phase, which has an FCC crystal configuration, is coherent with the aluminum matrix, facilitating coordinated deformation between the two.

[0018] (5) The method and process for preparing the high-strength aluminum-erbium alloy powder disclosed in the present invention are simple and mature, with low cost and high efficiency, and can be used for large-scale industrial production.

[0019] (6) The high-strength aluminum-erbium alloy powder disclosed in the present invention is highly applicable to additive manufacturing processes such as laser selective melting, and can be used for large-scale industrial production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Other features, objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is a thermodynamic phase diagram of the Al-Er eutectic system;

[0022] Figure 2 shows the typical solidification path curve of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr system;

[0023] Figure 3 shows the variation of hot cracking sensitivity factor of Al-Er-Mg-Mn system with Mg and Mn contents;

[0024] FIG4 is a typical microstructure of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy powder prepared in Example 1;

[0025] FIG5 is a typical XRD pattern of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy powder prepared in Example 1;

[0026] FIG6 is a typical microstructure of the printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 1;

[0027] FIG7 is a typical XRD pattern of the printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 1;

[0028] FIG8 is a backscattered electron diffraction photograph of the printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 1;

[0029] FIG9 is a structural diagram of a large number of cellular continuous eutectic networks contained in the alloy columnar crystals in Example 1;

[0030] FIG10 is an atomic structure diagram of the Al3Er eutectic phase of the alloy in Example 1;

[0031] FIG11 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 1;

[0032] FIG12 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr printed alloy prepared in Example 1 after heat treatment;

[0033] FIG13 is a typical microstructure of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy powder prepared in Example 2;

[0034] FIG14 is a typical microstructure of the printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 2;

[0035] FIG15 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 2;

[0036] FIG16 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr printed alloy bulk material prepared in Example 2 after heat treatment;

[0037] FIG17 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-10.8Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 3;

[0038] FIG18 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-10.8Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 4;

[0039] FIG19 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-10.8Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 5;

[0040] FIG20 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-10.8Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 6;

[0041] FIG21 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-15.6Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 7;

[0042] FIG22 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-15.6Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 8;

[0043] FIG23 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-15.6Er-3.3Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 9;

[0044] FIG24 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-15.6Er-3.3Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 10;

[0045] FIG25 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-15.6Er-7.8Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 11;

[0046] FIG26 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-14.6Er-7.8Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 12;

[0047] FIG27 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-5.0Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.3Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 13;

[0048] FIG28 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-5.5Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 14;

[0049] FIG29 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-5.0Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 15;

[0050] FIG30 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-5.0Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 16;

[0051] FIG31 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-5.2Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 17;

[0052] FIG32 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-5.2Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 18;

[0053] FIG33 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn alloy bulk prepared in Example 19;

[0054] FIG34 is a typical tensile curve of the printed Al-5.5Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.1Zr alloy bulk prepared in Example 20;

[0055] FIG35 is a typical tensile curve of the Al-7Er-4.5Mg-0.5Mn-0.3Zr printed alloy bulk prepared in Example 21;

[0056] Figure 36 shows the microstructure of the selected area laser-printed Al-3Er-4.5Mg-0.5Mn-0.1Zr bulk material in comparative example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] I. Definition

[0058] In this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, scientific and technical terms used herein have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the relevant terms and laboratory procedures used herein are those widely used in the relevant fields and routine procedures. To facilitate a better understanding of this disclosure, definitions and explanations of relevant terms are provided below.

[0059] As used herein and unless otherwise indicated, the term "about" or "approximately" means within plus or minus 10% of a given value or range. Where an integer is required, the term means within plus or minus 10% of a given value or range, rounded up or down to the nearest integer.

[0060] In the description herein, references to “some embodiments,” “some implementation schemes,” or “some implementation plans” describe a subset of all possible embodiments, but it will be understood that “some embodiments” may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict.

[0061] As used herein and unless otherwise specified, the terms "comprises," "includes," "has," "contains," and their grammatical equivalents should generally be understood as open-ended and non-limiting, e.g., not excluding other unlisted elements or steps.

[0062] As used herein, the term "wt%" refers to the weight ratio and the proportion of a substance in a mixture. For example, 4-20 wt% erbium (Er) means that the weight proportion of Er element in the total weight of all elements in the alloy is 4-20 wt%.

[0063] As used herein, the term "nominal composition" refers to the weight proportion of each metal element input into the raw material in the total raw material.

[0064] As used herein, the term "aluminum alloy" refers to an alloy having aluminum as a base and a certain amount of other alloying elements added thereto.

[0065] As used herein, the term "9R phase" refers to a long-period lattice structure composed of 9 {111} atomic layers, containing 3 stacking fault defects, which is usually only present in face-centered cubic (FCC). As used herein, the term "twinning" refers to the orientation relationship of two crystals (or two parts of a crystal) forming a mirror-symmetric orientation along a common crystal plane. In the present disclosure, in Al-Er alloys, twins can coordinate plastic deformation, change the orientation of grains, and thus improve the plasticity and ductility of the alloy. In engineering alloys, the introduction of more twin boundaries is generally considered to significantly improve the service life of the alloy. However, for some alloys, such as polycrystalline nickel-based high-temperature alloys, twin boundaries are more likely to induce crack initiation and propagation, which may affect the performance of the alloy (DOI:10.1038 / s41467-020-18641-z). The control and optimization of twins is an important consideration in alloy design and processing.

[0066] As used herein, the term "Additive Manufacturing" (AM) refers to any process that produces a three-dimensional object and includes steps that sequentially form the shape of the object one layer at a time. For example, AM processes include three-dimensional printing (3DP) processes, laser net shape manufacturing, direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), direct metal laser melting (DMLM), plasma transferred arc, free form manufacturing, etc. AM processes, without limiting the specific type of AM process, use an energy beam, such as an electron beam or electromagnetic radiation, such as a laser beam, to sinter or melt powdered material. AM processes can use metal powder material or filament as the raw material.

[0067] II. Examples

[0068] The alloy element analysis disclosed in the present invention is determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES), and the weight percentage of the corresponding elements is calculated based on the measurement results. The yield strength, tensile strength and elongation are determined according to ASTM E8 / E8M-2015a Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials. The phase diagram calculation method is used to assist in the design of alloy composition to obtain higher phase stability and mechanical properties, and the thermodynamic equilibrium phase diagram of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr system is obtained, as shown in Figure 1. The eutectic point w(Er) is about 4%, and the hypereutectic composition is selected to obtain a divorced eutectic network structure. The phase diagram thermodynamic calculation method is used to perform a high-throughput Scheil solidification path simulation on the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr system, and the curve of the solid fraction (solid fraction, fs) changing with temperature T is obtained, as shown in Figure 2. The hot cracking sensitivity factor (CSI) is defined as: f s 1 / 2 <0.99|dT / d(f s ) 1 / 2 The calculated hot cracking sensitivity factor of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn system as a function of Mg and Mn is shown in Figure 3. Currently, the hot cracking sensitivity factors of aluminum alloys used in additive manufacturing in industrial applications are all less than 10,000 K. Based on this, the optimized chemical composition of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy powder is: 4 ≤ w(Er) ≤ 20%; 3 ≤ w(Mg) ≤ 10%; 0 < w(Mn) ≤ 1%; 0 ≤ w(Sc) ≤ 1%; 0 ≤ w(Zr) ≤ 1%; Al remainder.

[0069] The present disclosure provides an aluminum-erbium alloy and a preparation method thereof, wherein additively manufactured parts made from the aluminum-erbium alloy have low thermal cracking sensitivity, high yield strength and good plasticity.

[0070] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an aluminum alloy is provided, comprising: 4-20 wt % of erbium (Er); 2-10 wt % of magnesium (Mg); and less than or equal to 1 wt % of manganese (Mn).

[0071] Optionally, the aluminum alloy further comprises 0-1 wt% of scandium (Sc).

[0072] Optionally, the aluminum alloy further comprises 0-1 wt% zirconium (Zr).

[0073] In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy contains 4.0-20wt% Er, for example, 5.0-15.6wt%, 5.0-10.8wt%, 10.8-14.6wt%, 10.8-15.6wt%, and further 4.5wt%, 5.0wt%, 5.2wt%, 5.3wt%, 5.5wt%, 6.0wt%, 6.5wt%, 7wt%, 7.5wt%, 8.0wt%, 8.5wt%, 9.0wt%, 9.5wt%, 10.0wt%. %, 10.5wt%, 10.8wt%, 11.0wt%, 11.5wt%, 12.0wt%, 12.5wt%, 13.0wt%, 13.5wt%, 14wt%, 14.5wt%, 14.6wt%, 15.0wt%, 15.6wt%, 16.0wt%, 16.5wt%, 17.0wt%, 17.5wt%, 18.0wt%, 18.5wt%, 19.0wt%, 19.5wt%, 20.0wt% or a range between any two of the foregoing. It is helpful to produce an aluminum alloy product containing Er with a eutectic structure. When the alloy powder is printed into an alloy block using a conventional method, based on the Al-Er eutectic system, the Al3Er phase can not only participate in the eutectic reaction to provide excellent solidification characteristics, but can also precipitate as a coherent primary phase at the same time, which plays a role in refining the grains and further improves the resistance to thermal cracking sensitivity. In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy contains 3.0-10wt% Mg, for example, it can be 3.0-8.5wt%, 3.0-3.3wt%, 3.3-4.5wt%, 4.5-7.8wt%, 7.8-8.5wt%, and further can be 3.0wt%, 3.3wt%, 3.5wt%, 4.5wt%, 4.0wt%, 4.5wt%, 5.0wt%, 5.5wt%, 6.0wt%, 6.5wt%, 7.0wt%, 7.5wt%, 7.8wt%, 8.0wt%, 8.5wt%, 9.0wt%, 9.5wt%, 10.0wt% or a range between any two of the foregoing.

[0074] In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy contains less than or equal to 1 wt% Mn, for example, less than or equal to 0.9 wt%, less than or equal to 0.8 wt%, less than or equal to 0.7 wt%, less than or equal to 0.6 wt%, 0.3-0.6 wt%, or 0.3 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.7 wt% or a range between any two of them.

[0075] The aluminum alloy optionally contains 0-1wt% Zr, and further contains 0-0.7wt% Zr, for example, it can be 0wt%, 0.1wt%, 0.2wt%, 0.3wt%, 0.4wt%, 0.5wt%, 0.6wt%, 0.7wt%, 0.8wt%, 0.9wt%, 1.0wt% or a range between any two of the foregoing.

[0076] The aluminum alloy optionally contains 0-1wt% Sc, further contains 0-0.5wt% Sc, for example, it can be 0wt%, 0.1wt%, 0.2wt%, 0.3wt%, 0.4wt%, 0.5wt%, 0.6wt%, 0.7wt%, 0.8wt%, 0.9wt%, 1.0wt% or a range between any two of the foregoing.

[0077] In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy comprises:

[0078] 10.8 wt% Er, 4.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or,

[0079] 10.8 wt% Er, 4.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.5 wt% Sc, 0.4 wt% Zr; or,

[0080] 10.8 wt% Er, 3.0 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or

[0081] 10.8 wt% Er, 3.0 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.5 wt% Sc, 0.4 wt% Zr; or,

[0082] 10.8 wt% Er, 8.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or

[0083] 10.8 wt% Er, 8.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.5 wt% Sc, 0.4 wt% Zr; or,

[0084] 15.6 wt% Er, 4.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or

[0085] 15.6 wt% Er, 4.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.5 wt% Sc, 0.4 wt% Zr; or,

[0086] 15.6 wt% Er, 3.3 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or,

[0087] 15.6 wt% Er, 3.3 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.5 wt% Sc, 0.4 wt% Zr; or,

[0088] 15.6 wt% Er, 7.8 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or,

[0089] 14.6 wt% Er, 7.8 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.5 wt% Sc, 0.4 wt% Zr; or,

[0090] 5.0 wt% Er, 4.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.3 wt% Zr; or

[0091] 5.5wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or,

[0092] 5.0 wt% Er, 3.0 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or

[0093] 5.0 wt% Er, 3.0 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.5 wt% Sc, 0.40 wt% Zr; or

[0094] 5.2 wt% Er, 8.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr; or

[0095] 5.2 wt% Er, 8.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.50 wt% Sc, 0.4 wt% Zr; or,

[0096] 10.8 wt% Er, 4.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn; or

[0097] 5.5wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.1wt% Zr; or

[0098] 7.0wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.5wt% Mn, 0.3wt% Zr, 0.1wt% Sc.

[0099] In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy further comprises aluminum (Al) and inevitable impurities as the balance.In one embodiment, the aluminum alloy is prepared in a form selected from the group consisting of powder, chips, strips, wires, sheets, plates and foils.

[0100] In one embodiment, the alloy is prepared in powder form, which can be used in an additive manufacturing process.

[0101] As an example, Figures 4 and 5 show an exemplary aluminum alloy powder of the present disclosure (10.8 wt% Er, 4.5 wt% Mg, 0.6 wt% Mn, 0.7 wt% Zr). In this example, the aluminum alloy powder has an average particle size of approximately 35 μm. The powder contains two phases, α-Al and Al₃Er, with an α-Al / Al₃Er eutectic between the α-Al cells. When the aluminum alloy content is less than 4 wt%, for example, 3 wt%, the resulting alloy exhibits a discontinuous Al₃Er network structure, as shown in Figure 36.

[0102] The atomic structure of the Al3Er eutectic phase is further shown in Figure 10, showing a continuous cellular FCC configuration and a 9R phase. The Al3Er eutectic phase with the FCC crystal configuration is coherent with the aluminum matrix, which is conducive to the coordinated deformation between the two.

[0103] Figure 6 shows an exemplary as-printed alloy, obtained by selective laser melting (SLM) of conventional aluminum alloy powder. The alloy exhibits no cracks, and a significant amount of Al(Er,Zr) nucleation occurs at the bottom of the melt pool. This nucleation induces equiaxed grains with a grain size of approximately 500 nm, while the columnar grains within the melt pool have a grain size of approximately 2 μm. Figure 9 further illustrates the continuous Al(Er) eutectic network within the columnar crystals.

[0104] The printed alloy has a yield strength of over 440 MPa, a tensile strength of over 550 MPa, and an elongation greater than 5%. At lower erbium content, the printed alloy has a yield strength of less than 400 MPa and a tensile strength of less than 470 MPa.

[0105] In one embodiment, the alloy exhibits a dual-grain morphology with coexisting columnar and equiaxed crystals. A large number of Al3(Er,Zr) nucleation phases are present at the bottom of the melt pool of the as-printed alloy, inducing equiaxed grains with a grain size of approximately 500 nm and columnar grains within the melt pool with a grain size of approximately 2 μm.

[0106] Furthermore, the alloy is rich in fine-grained structure. The proportion of equiaxed fine-grained area of ​​the Al-Er alloy disclosed in the present invention is significantly higher than that of the Al-Ni system alloy, showing more excellent solidification characteristics. Compared with the Al-Ni system 3D printing materials reported in the literature (Scripta Materialia 203 (2021): 114034.), the Al3Er phase can not only participate in the eutectic reaction and provide excellent solidification characteristics, but also precipitate as a coherent primary phase at the same time, play a role in refining the grains, and further improve the resistance to thermal cracking sensitivity. Since the crystal structure of Al3Ni in the Al-Ni system is quite different from that of the aluminum matrix, it cannot play an effective role in heterogeneous nucleation and grain refinement. The proportion of equiaxed fine-grained area of ​​the Al-Er alloy in each embodiment of the present invention is significantly higher than that of the Al-Ni system alloy, showing more excellent solidification characteristics.

[0107] In one embodiment, the alloy has a grain size between 500 nm and about 2 μm.

[0108] In one embodiment, the alloy has a fine grain structure with a grain size between 500 nm and about 2 μm.

[0109] In one embodiment, the alloy has equiaxed grains with a grain size of about 500 nm and columnar grains with a diameter of 2 μm.

[0110] In one embodiment, the columnar crystals contain a continuous Al3Er cellular eutectic network structure.

[0111] In one embodiment, in the network structure, the network unit size is 300-400 nm. The eutectic phase (and the network structure it consists of) has plastic deformation capability, which is beneficial to improving the plasticity of the material.

[0112] In one embodiment, the Al3Er cellular eutectic network structure contains twin structures, and the twin structures are nano twins.

[0113] In one embodiment, the Al3Er cellular eutectic network structure contains a 9R structure, which is a structure with three layers of close-packed atomic planes as intervals and periodic stacking faults.

[0114] In the present disclosure, the aforementioned alloy in powder form may be manufactured by any suitable method.

[0115] In one embodiment, the powder is produced by a process in which a melt is fractured and then solidified.

[0116] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy powder is produced by a process having a solidification rate sufficient to promote the formation of a fine eutectic structure.

[0117] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for preparing the aforementioned aluminum alloy, comprising:

[0118] The aluminum alloy is prepared by a rapid solidification process; the rapid solidification process is preferably one or more selected from gas atomization, spray deposition, flat flow casting, melt spinning, melt extraction and beam glazing.

[0119] In one embodiment, the atomization powder making includes but is not limited to: gas atomization, rotary electrode atomization, and ultrasonic atomization.

[0120] Although the present disclosure generally relates to aluminum alloy products manufactured by powder-based additive manufacturing methods, in some embodiments, one or more of the aluminum alloy compositions may also be used in wire-based additive manufacturing methods. For example, wire-based additive manufacturing methods utilizing electron beams and / or plasma arcs may be used.

[0121] In one embodiment, the additive manufacturing includes but is not limited to: laser selective melting additive manufacturing, laser directed energy deposition additive manufacturing, electron beam selective melting additive manufacturing, and electron beam directed energy deposition additive manufacturing.

[0122] In one embodiment, the method for preparing the aluminum alloy includes: smelting to obtain an aluminum-erbium alloy prefabricated ingot, and obtaining an aluminum-erbium alloy powder by a gas atomization powder making method.

[0123] In one embodiment, the preparation of the aluminum-erbium alloy prefabricated ingot comprises the following steps:

[0124] S1. According to the weight ratio of the alloy chemical components, pure Al, pure Mg, Al-Er master alloy block, and Al-Mn master alloy block are weighed as raw materials respectively. Optionally, the raw materials also include Al-Sc master alloy block and / or Al-Zr master alloy block;

[0125] S2, mixing pure Al and Al-Er master alloy blocks, heating, melting and stirring to obtain melt A;

[0126] S3, adding the Al-Mn master alloy block to melt A, heating, melting and stirring to obtain melt B;

[0127] When the aluminum-erbium alloy contains Sc, an Al-Sc master alloy block is also added to the melt A; when the aluminum-erbium alloy contains Zr, an Al-Zr master alloy block is also added to the melt A;

[0128] S4, pressing pure Mg into melt B to obtain melt C;

[0129] S5, adding a refining agent and a covering agent to the melt obtained in step S4 and vacuum degassing to obtain a melt D;

[0130] S6. After removing the slag, the melt D is poured into a preheated mold to obtain a metal ingot.

[0131] In one embodiment, the heating temperature in step S2 is 780-800° C., and the stirring time is 1-3 minutes.

[0132] In one embodiment, the heating temperature in step S3 is 780-800° C., and the stirring time is 1-3 minutes.

[0133] In one embodiment, the heating temperature in step S4 is 700-740° C., and the stirring time is 1-3 minutes.

[0134] In one embodiment, the vacuum furnace temperature in step S5 is 740° C., and the degassing time is 5-10 minutes.

[0135] In one embodiment, the mold preheating temperature in step S6 is 200-250°C.

[0136] In one embodiment, aerosol forming comprises the following steps:

[0137] A1. Heat and melt the aluminum-erbium alloy prefabricated ingot under vacuum environment;

[0138] A2. The molten melt flows under the action of gravity. The outflowing melt is broken into droplets of different sizes under the impact of atomized nitrogen. The droplets solidify into powder during the falling process, and high-strength aluminum-erbium alloy powder is collected.

[0139] As an embodiment, the heating in step A1 is electromagnetic induction heating, the heating temperature is 750-800° C., and the insulation time is 0.5-0.8 h.

[0140] As an implementation scheme, step A1 specifically includes:

[0141] a. Place the aluminum-erbium alloy prefabricated ingot in the graphite crucible in the melting chamber, close the chamber door, reduce the vacuum degree in the melting chamber through the vacuum system, and then introduce nitrogen into the chamber to further replace the air in the chamber and reduce the oxygen content in the chamber;

[0142] b. The cavity is heated by electromagnetic induction to completely melt the ingot.

[0143] As an embodiment, in step A2, after collecting the powder, the method further includes vacuum packaging the collected powder.

[0144] In some specific embodiments, aluminum-erbium alloy powder for additive manufacturing is prepared by a gas atomization powder making method, and the steps are as follows:

[0145] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0146] The ingredients are prepared according to the chemical element composition and mass percentage formula of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy powder for additive manufacturing described above; pure Al is used as the Al source material, Al-20Er master alloy is used as the Er source material, pure Mg is used as the Mg source material, Al-10Mn master alloy is used as the Mn source material, Al-10Sc master alloy is used as the Sc source material; Al-10Zr master alloy is used as the Zr source material; pure Al, pure Mg, Al-20Er master alloy block, Al-10Mn master alloy block, Al-10Sc master alloy, and Al-10Zr master alloy block are weighed as raw materials respectively, and according to the standard of Mg, Sc, and Zr recovery rate of 95%, pure Mg and Al-10Zr master alloy blocks are additionally weighed as the raw material part to be replenished due to burnout;

[0147] (2) Melting of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy prefabricated ingot:

[0148] a. Mix pure Al, pure Mg, and Al-20Er master alloy blocks in a graphite crucible, heat to 780-800°C in a resistance furnace, and stir with a graphite stirring rod for 3 minutes.

[0149] b. Add Al-10Mn master alloy block and Al-10Zr master alloy block to the melt and stir with a graphite stirring rod for 3 minutes;

[0150] When the aluminum-erbium alloy contains Sc, an Al-10Sc master alloy block is also added to the melt;

[0151] c. Add pure Mg to the melt and use a graphite rod to press it into the bottom of the melt to dissolve;

[0152] d. Add refining agent for refining, then scrape off the surface slag, sprinkle covering agent, and vacuum degas for 5-10 minutes;

[0153] e. Remove the surface slag and cast it into a cylindrical mold preheated at 250°C to obtain a cylindrical ingot;

[0154] f. Use mechanical processing methods to remove the oxide scale on the surface of the ingot.

[0155] (3) Gas atomization forming of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy powder:

[0156] a. Place the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr prefabricated ingot in a graphite crucible in the melting chamber, close the chamber door, reduce the vacuum degree in the melting chamber through the vacuum system, and then introduce nitrogen into the chamber to further replace the air in the chamber and reduce the oxygen content in the chamber;

[0157] b. Heat the cavity by electromagnetic induction to a target temperature of 750-800°C for 0.5h to completely melt the ingot;

[0158] c. The molten melt flows along the nozzle under the action of gravity and is broken into droplets of different sizes under the impact of the fast-moving atomized nitrogen gas. The droplets solidify into powder as they fall, and the falling powder is collected at the bottom of the cavity;

[0159] d. The collected powder is vacuum packed to prevent the powder from being oxidized.

[0160] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an additively manufactured component made from gas atomized powder of the alloy.

[0161] In one embodiment, the yield strength of the component is greater than 440 MPa, further greater than 500 MPa or 550 MPa, or even greater than 600 MPa.

[0162] In one embodiment, the tensile strength of the component is greater than 550 MPa, further greater than 600 or 650 MPa, or even greater than 700 MPa.

[0163] In one embodiment, the elongation of the component is greater than 4%, even greater than 6%, 8% or 10%, even greater than 12%.

[0164] After the final additively manufactured product is produced, it may optionally be subjected to one or more heat treatments at one or more temperatures.

[0165] In one embodiment, after the component is kept at 250-350° C. for 5-40 minutes, the yield strength is greater than 580 MPa, the tensile strength is greater than 630 MPa, and the elongation is greater than 8%.

[0166] In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a component, comprising:

[0167] manufacturing a powder form of the aforementioned aluminum alloy;

[0168] The powder form is used in an additive manufacturing process to manufacture the component. To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure more clear, the present disclosure will be further described below. The described embodiments should not be considered as limiting the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0169] Before further describing the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, the nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are explained. The nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are subject to the following interpretations.

[0170] The raw materials and equipment used in the specific embodiments of the present disclosure are all known products and are obtained by purchasing commercially available products.

[0171] Example 1

[0172] In the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr is selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The weight proportion of each element in the powder form alloy product is: Er 10.8%, Mg 4.5%, Mn 0.6%, Zr 0.7%, and the balance is Al and unavoidable impurities. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0173] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0174] 14.25 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 27 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, and 3.50 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and 0.12 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burnout, based on the standard of Mg and Zr recovery of 95%.

[0175] (2) Melting of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr alloy prefabricated ingot:

[0176] a. Mix pure Al, pure Mg, and Al-20Er master alloy blocks in a graphite crucible, heat to 780°C in a resistance furnace, and stir with a graphite stirring rod for 3 minutes.

[0177] b. Add Al-Mn master alloy block and Al-Zr master alloy block to the melt and stir with a graphite stirring rod for 3 minutes;

[0178] c. Add pure Mg to the melt and use a graphite rod to press it into the bottom of the melt to dissolve;

[0179] d. Add refining agent for refining, then remove the surface slag, sprinkle with covering agent, and vacuum degas for 10 minutes;

[0180] e. Remove the surface slag and cast it into a cylindrical mold preheated at 250°C to obtain a cylindrical ingot;

[0181] f. Use mechanical processing methods to remove the oxide scale on the surface of the ingot.

[0182] (3) Gas atomization forming of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr alloy powder:

[0183] a. Place the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr prefabricated ingot in a graphite crucible in the melting chamber, close the chamber door, reduce the vacuum degree in the melting chamber through the vacuum system, and then introduce nitrogen into the chamber to further replace the air in the chamber and reduce the oxygen content in the chamber;

[0184] b. Heating the cavity by electromagnetic induction to a target temperature of 800°C for 0.5 h to completely melt the ingot;

[0185] c. The molten melt flows along the nozzle under the action of gravity and is broken into droplets of different sizes under the impact of the fast-moving atomized nitrogen gas. The droplets solidify into powder as they fall, and the falling powder is collected at the bottom of the cavity;

[0186] d. The collected powder is vacuum packed to prevent the powder from being oxidized.

[0187] The composition of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr powder prepared in this embodiment was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry to be Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr, which was consistent with the designed nominal composition value.

[0188] The typical particle morphology and microstructure of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr powder produced in this example are shown in Figure 4, and a typical XRD pattern is shown in Figure 5. The powder used for SLM preparation has an average particle size of approximately 35 μm and high sphericity. The powder contains two phases, α-Al and Al3(Er,Zr), with α-Al / Al3(Er,Zr) eutectics present between the α-Al cells.

[0189] The Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr powder prepared in this example was processed using a conventional aluminum alloy selective laser melting (SLM) process to obtain an as-printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy block. Its typical solidified microstructure is shown in Figure 6 , its typical XRD pattern is shown in Figure 7 , and its electron backscattered micrograph of the grain structure is shown in Figure 8 . The Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy prepared by SLM exhibits no cracks, no significant pores, and a fine grain structure. Nucleation of a large number of Al3(Er,Zr) nuclei at the bottom of the melt pool induces equiaxed grains with a grain size of approximately 500 nm, while the columnar grains within the melt pool have a grain size of approximately 2 μm. Compared with the Al-Ni system 3D printing materials reported in the literature (Scripta Materialia 203(2021):114034.), the Al3Er phase can not only participate in the eutectic reaction and provide excellent solidification characteristics, but also precipitate as a coherent primary phase at the same time, which plays a role in refining the grains and further improves the resistance to thermal cracking sensitivity. Since the crystal structure of Al3Ni in the Al-Ni system is quite different from that of the aluminum matrix, it cannot play an effective role in heterogeneous nucleation and grain refinement. Therefore, by comparing the microstructure, it can be clearly seen that the proportion of equiaxed fine grain areas of the Al-Er alloys in the various embodiments of the present disclosure is significantly greater than that of the Al-Ni system alloys, showing better solidification characteristics.

[0190] As an important feature, the columnar crystal contains a continuous Al3Er cellular eutectic network structure with a network unit size of 300-400μm, as shown in Figure 9. The Al3Er eutectic phase that constitutes this network structure contains a large number of nanotwins and 9R structures, as shown in Figure 10, indicating that the eutectic phase (and its network structure) has plastic deformation ability, which is beneficial to improving the plasticity of the material. At the same time, Al3Er is an FCC structure and is coherent with the aluminum matrix, which is conducive to the coordinated deformation between the two. These characteristics of the Al3Er phase are in sharp contrast to the low-coherence brittle eutectic phases (Si, Al13F4, Al3Ni, Al11La3, Al11Ce3) in eutectic systems such as Al-Si, Al-Fe, Al-Ni, Al-La, and Al-Ce.

[0191] The printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy block was subjected to a tensile test according to ASTM E8 / E8M-2015a. The yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation of the alloy were measured to be 540 MPa, 610 MPa, and 11.8%. The tensile curve is shown in FIG11 .

[0192] The printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy block was held at 320°C for 25 minutes and subjected to a tensile test. The yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation were measured to be 591 MPa, 638 MPa, and 9.8%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 12. The Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr alloy prepared in this example exhibits both excellent solidification characteristics and mechanical properties.

[0193] Example 2

[0194] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0195] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0196] 13.25 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 27 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, 2.50 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy block, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg, Sc, and Zr, 0.12 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy block, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burn-out.

[0197] (2) Melting of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Zr alloy prefabricated ingot:

[0198] a. Mix pure Al, pure Mg, and Al-20Er master alloy blocks in a graphite crucible, heat to 780°C in a resistance furnace, and stir with a graphite stirring rod for 3 minutes.

[0199] b. Add Al-Mn master alloy block, Al-Zr master alloy block, Al-Sc master alloy block to the melt and stir with a graphite stirring rod for 3 minutes;

[0200] c. Add pure Mg to the melt and use a graphite rod to press it into the bottom of the melt to dissolve;

[0201] d. Add refining agent for refining, then remove the surface slag, sprinkle with covering agent, and vacuum degas for 10 minutes;

[0202] e. Remove the surface slag and cast it into a cylindrical mold preheated at 250°C to obtain a cylindrical ingot;

[0203] f. Use mechanical processing methods to remove the oxide scale on the surface of the ingot.

[0204] (3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0205] Figure 13 shows the typical particle morphology and microstructure of the Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr powder produced in this example. The powder used for SLM preparation has an average particle size of approximately 36 μm and high sphericity. The powder contains two phases: α-Al and Al3(Er,Zr).

[0206] The Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr powder prepared in this embodiment was processed by a conventional aluminum alloy selective laser melting process to obtain an Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy block, whose typical microstructure is shown in Figure 14. There are no cracks and a large number of pores in the alloy, and the grain structure is similar to that of the alloy block prepared in Example 1, but the size of the eutectic cell structure and the size of the ultrafine grains in the equiaxed crystal region are smaller than those in Example 1, indicating that the addition of the Sc element enhances the refinement effect.

[0207] Using the test method of Example 1, the yield strength was 553 MPa, the tensile strength was 622 MPa, and the elongation was 12%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 15. The printed Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr alloy block was held at 350°C for 45 minutes and then subjected to a tensile test. The yield strength was 630 MPa, the tensile strength was 647 MPa, and the elongation was 8.9%, demonstrating excellent performance. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 16.

[0208] Example 3

[0209] From the chemical composition range of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-10.8Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0210] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0211] 15 kg of pure Al, 1.50 kg of pure Mg, 27 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, and 3.50 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and 0.10 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burnout, based on the standard of Mg and Zr recovery of 95%.

[0212] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0213] The yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of the steel sheet measured by the test method of Example 1 were 536 MPa, 602 MPa and 9.8%, respectively. The tensile curve is shown in FIG17 .

[0214] Example 4

[0215] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-10.8Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0216] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0217] 14 kg of pure Al, 1.50 kg of pure Mg, 27 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, 2.50 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg, Sc, and Zr, 0.10 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to replenish the burned-out part;

[0218] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0219] The yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of the steel sheet measured by the test method of Example 1 were 538 MPa, 596 MPa and 9.6%, respectively. The tensile curve is shown in FIG18 .

[0220] Example 5

[0221] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-10.8Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0222] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0223] 12.25 kg of pure Al, 4.25 kg of pure Mg, 27 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, and 3.50 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials, and 0.22 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed to supplement the raw materials for burnout, based on the standard of Mg and Zr recovery rate of 95%.

[0224] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0225] The yield strength, measured by the test method of Example 1, was 505 MPa, the tensile strength was 569 MPa, and the elongation was 12.6%. The tensile curve is shown in FIG19 .

[0226] Example 6

[0227] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-10.8Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0228] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0229] 11.25 kg of pure Al, 4.25 kg of pure Mg, 27 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, 2.50 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy block, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials respectively. According to the standard of Mg, Sc, and Zr recovery rate of 95%, 0.22 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy block, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed as the raw materials to be replenished for burn-out.

[0230] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0231] The yield strength, measured by the test method of Example 1, was 545 MPa, the tensile strength was 601 MPa, and the elongation was 12.6%. The tensile curve is shown in FIG20 .

[0232] Example 7

[0233] Al-15.6Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr was selected as the nominal composition from the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0234] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0235] 2.25 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 39 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, and 3.5 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and 0.12 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed to supplement the raw materials for burnout, based on the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg and Zr.

[0236] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0237] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 629 MPa, the tensile strength is 637 MPa, and the elongation is 6.6%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 21.

[0238] Example 8

[0239] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-15.6Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0240] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0241] 1.25 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 39 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, 2.5 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg, Sc, and Zr, 0.12 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burn-out.

[0242] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0243] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 633 MPa, the tensile strength is 647 MPa, and the elongation is 4.5%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 22.

[0244] Example 9

[0245] Al-15.6Er-3.3Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr was selected as the nominal composition in the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0246] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0247] 2.85 kg of pure Al, 1.65 kg of pure Mg, 39 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, and 3.5 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and 0.10 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burnout, based on the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg and Zr.

[0248] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0249] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 568 MPa, the tensile strength was 623 MPa, and the elongation was 9.9%. The tensile curve is shown in FIG23 .

[0250] Example 10

[0251] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-15.6Er-3.3Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0252] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0253] 1.85 kg of pure Al, 1.65 kg of pure Mg, 39 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, 2.5 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg, Sc, and Zr, 0.10 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to replenish the burned-out part;

[0254] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0255] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 586 MPa, the tensile strength is 648 MPa, and the elongation is 8.6%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 24.

[0256] Example 11

[0257] Al-15.6Er-7.8Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr was selected as the nominal composition from the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0258] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0259] 0.60 kg of pure Al, 3.90 kg of pure Mg, 39 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, and 3.5 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials respectively. Based on the standard of Mg and Zr recovery rate of 95%, 0.20 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed as the raw materials to be replenished for burnout.

[0260] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0261] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 670 MPa, the tensile strength is 688 MPa, and the elongation is 4.4%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 25.

[0262] Example 12

[0263] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-14.6Er-7.8Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0264] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0265] 2.10 kg of pure Al, 3.90 kg of pure Mg, 36.50 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, 2.5 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy block, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg, Sc, and Zr, 0.20 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy block, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed as raw materials to replenish the burned-out part;

[0266] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0267] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 668 MPa, the tensile strength was 681 MPa, and the elongation was 5.1%. The tensile curve is shown in FIG26 .

[0268] Example 13

[0269] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-5.0Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.3Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0270] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0271] 27.50 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 12.5 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, and 1.5 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and 0.12 kg of pure Mg and 0.08 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed to supplement the raw materials for burnout, based on the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg and Zr.

[0272] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0273] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 443 MPa, the tensile strength is 560 MPa, and the elongation is 11%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 27.

[0274] Example 14

[0275] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-5.5Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0276] 1) Raw material preparation:

[0277] 26.50 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 13.75 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, 2.5 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg, Sc, and Zr, 0.12 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burn-out.

[0278] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0279] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 527 MPa, the tensile strength was 611 MPa, and the elongation was 12.3%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 28.

[0280] Example 15

[0281] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-5.0Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0282] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0283] 29.50 kg of pure Al, 1.50 kg of pure Mg, 12.50 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, and 3.5 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and 0.08 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed to supplement the raw materials for burnout, based on the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg and Zr.

[0284] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0285] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 468 MPa, the tensile strength was 551 MPa, and the elongation was 10.7%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 29.

[0286] Example 16

[0287] From the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, Al-5.0Er-3.0Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0288] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0289] 28.50 kg of pure Al, 1.50 kg of pure Mg, 12.50 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, 2.5 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of Mg and Zr recovery rate of 95%, 0.08 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burn-out.

[0290] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0291] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 512 MPa, the tensile strength was 571 MPa, and the elongation was 7.0%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 30.

[0292] Example 17

[0293] Al-5.2Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.7Zr was selected as the nominal composition from the chemical composition range of Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0294] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0295] 26.25 kg of pure Al, 4.25 kg of pure Mg, 13 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, and 3.5 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and 0.22 kg of pure Mg and 0.18 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed to supplement the raw materials for burnout, based on the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg and Zr.

[0296] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0297] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 498 MPa, the tensile strength is 564 MPa, and the elongation is 9.2%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 31.

[0298] Example 18

[0299] Al-5.2Er-8.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.5Sc-0.4Zr was selected as the nominal composition of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0300] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0301] 26.25 kg of pure Al, 4.25 kg of pure Mg, 13 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, 2.5 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 2 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of Mg and Zr recovery rate of 95%, 0.22 kg of pure Mg, 0.13 kg of Al-10Sc master alloy blocks, and 0.10 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to replenish the burned-out part;

[0302] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 2.

[0303] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 512 MPa, the tensile strength is 599 MPa, and the elongation is 10.6%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 32.

[0304] Example 19

[0305] Al-10.8Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn was selected as the nominal composition of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0306] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0307] 17.75 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 27 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, and 3 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block were weighed as raw materials. Based on the standard of Mg recovery rate of 95%, 0.12 kg of pure Mg was additionally weighed as the burn-off part to supplement the raw materials.

[0308] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0309] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 507 MPa, the tensile strength was 586 MPa, and the elongation was 8.0%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 33.

[0310] Example 20

[0311] Al-5.5Er-4.5Mg-0.6Mn-0.1Zr was selected as the nominal composition in the chemical composition range of the Al-Er-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0312] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0313] 30.50 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 13.75 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 2.5 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, and 0.50 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of Mg and Zr recovery rate of 95%, 0.12 kg of pure Mg and 0.03 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed as the raw materials to be replenished for burnout;

[0314] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0315] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 504 MPa, the tensile strength is 572 MPa, and the elongation is 8.3%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 34.

[0316] Example 21

[0317] Al-7Er-4.5Mg-0.5Mn-0.3Zr with low Er content was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation. The preparation steps are as follows:

[0318] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0319] 26.25 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 17.50 kg of Al-20Er master alloy blocks, 2.5 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy blocks, 1.5 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy blocks, and 2.5 kg of Al-2Sc master alloy blocks were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of 95% recovery rate of Mg, Zr, and Sc, 0.12 kg of pure Mg and 0.125 kg of Al-10Zr and Al-2Sc master alloy blocks were additionally weighed as raw materials to supplement the burn-out.

[0320] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0321] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 is 525 MPa, the tensile strength is 580 MPa, and the elongation is 12.9%. The tensile curve is shown in Figure 35.

[0322] Examples 1-21 demonstrate the excellent solidification and formability of the high-strength aluminum-erbium alloy powder for additive manufacturing disclosed herein, allowing for the production of complete bulk materials. The as-printed alloy exhibits few defects and a bimodal grain structure composed of fine equiaxed and columnar crystals. In particular, a low-stacking-fault-energy Al3Er eutectic network is formed within the micron-scale columnar crystal regions, strengthening the material while providing plasticity through self-deformation. These microstructures enhance the yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation of the as-printed alloy, resulting in excellent overall mechanical properties. In particular, the yield strength exceeds that of all currently available aluminum alloy systems for additive manufacturing.

[0323] Comparative Example 1

[0324] As a comparative example, Al-3Er-4.5Mg-0.5Mn-0.1Zr with low Er content was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation, and the preparation steps were as follows:

[0325] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0326] 37.25 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 7.5 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 2.5 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, and 0.50 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials, and according to the standard of Mg and Zr recovery rate of 95%, 0.12 kg of pure Mg and 0.03 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed as the raw materials to be replenished for burnout;

[0327] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0328] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 382 MPa, the tensile strength was 460 MPa, and the elongation was 13.2%.

[0329] The Al3Er eutectic network structure inside the bulk material of this comparative example is discontinuous, as shown in Figure 36. This is the main reason why its strength is significantly lower than that of other examples of the present disclosure.

[0330] Comparative Example 2

[0331] As a comparative example, Al-1Er-4.5Mg-0.5Mn-0.1Zr with low Er content was selected as the nominal composition for powder preparation, and the preparation steps were as follows:

[0332] (1) Raw material preparation:

[0333] 42.25 kg of pure Al, 2.25 kg of pure Mg, 2.5 kg of Al-20Er master alloy block, 2.5 kg of Al-10Mn master alloy block, and 0.50 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were weighed as raw materials, and 0.12 kg of pure Mg and 0.03 kg of Al-10Zr master alloy block were additionally weighed to supplement the raw materials for burnout, based on the standard of Mg and Zr recovery rate of 95%.

[0334] (2)(3) The preparation steps are the same as those in Example 1.

[0335] The yield strength measured by the test method of Example 1 was 323 MPa, the tensile strength was 415 MPa, and the elongation was 14.3%.

[0336] Test Case

[0337] The yield strength and tensile strength of the printed aggregate blocks prepared in the above examples are summarized in Table 1 below:

[0338] Table 1

[0339] The yield strength and tensile strength of the printed aggregate blocks prepared in the above comparative examples are summarized in Table 2 below:

[0340] Table 2

[0341] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are for purposes of illustration and description. These descriptions are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and it is apparent that many variations and modifications are possible in light of the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments have been selected and described for the purpose of explaining the specific principles of the present disclosure and their practical application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to realize and utilize a variety of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and various options and modifications. The scope of the present disclosure is intended to be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An aluminum alloy comprising: 4-20wt% erbium (Er); 2-10 wt% magnesium (Mg); Less than or equal to 1 wt% of manganese (Mn); Optionally, 0-1 wt% of scandium (Sc); Optionally, 0-1 wt% zirconium (Zr).

2. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, wherein Containing 5.0-15.6wt% of Er; Preferably, comprising 3.0-8.5wt% Mg; Preferably, 0.5-0.6 wt% of Mn is contained; Preferably, 0-0.7wt% Zr is contained; Preferably, Sc is contained in an amount of 0-0.5 wt%.

3. The aluminum alloy according to claim 1, wherein Include: 10.8wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 10.8wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 10.8wt% Er, 3.0wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 10.8wt% Er, 3.0wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 10.8wt% Er, 8.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 10.8wt% Er, 8.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 15.6wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 15.6wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 15.6wt% Er, 3.3wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 15.6wt% Er, 3.3wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 15.6wt% Er, 7.8wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 14.6wt% Er, 7.8wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 5.0wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.3wt% Zr; or, 5.5wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 5.0wt% Er, 3.0wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 5.0wt% Er, 3.0wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.5wt% Sc, 0.40wt% Zr; or, 5.2wt% Er, 8.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.7wt% Zr; or, 5.2wt% Er, 8.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.50wt% Sc, 0.4wt% Zr; or, 10.8wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn; or, 5.5wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.6wt% Mn, 0.1wt% Zr; or, 7.0wt% Er, 4.5wt% Mg, 0.5wt% Mn, 0.3wt% Zr, 0.1wt% Sc.

4. The aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Aluminum (Al) and inevitable impurities are contained as the remainder.

5. The aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The alloy is produced in powder form which can be used in additive manufacturing methods.

6. The aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The alloy presents a double grain morphology in which columnar crystals and equiaxed crystals coexist; Preferably, the alloy has a grain size between 500 nm and about 2 μm.

7. The aluminum alloy according to claim 6, wherein: The columnar crystals contain a continuous Al3Er cellular eutectic network structure; Preferably, in the network structure, the network unit size is 300-400nm; Preferably, the Al3Er cellular eutectic network structure contains a twin structure; Preferably, the Al3Er cellular eutectic network structure contains a 9R structure.

8. The method for preparing the aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: Prepare the aluminum alloy by a rapid solidification process; The rapid solidification process is preferably selected from one or more of atomization powder making, spray deposition, advection casting, melt spinning, melt extraction, beam glazing and additive manufacturing; Preferably, the atomization powder making comprises one or more selected from gas atomization, rotary electrode atomization and ultrasonic atomization; Preferably, the additive manufacturing includes one or more selected from laser selective melting additive manufacturing, laser directed energy deposition additive manufacturing, electron beam selective melting additive manufacturing and electron beam directed energy deposition additive manufacturing.

9. The preparation method according to claim 8, wherein: The preparation method of the aluminum alloy comprises: smelting to obtain an aluminum-erbium alloy prefabricated ingot, and preparing the aluminum-erbium alloy powder by a gas atomization powder making method; Preferably, the preparation of the aluminum-erbium alloy prefabricated ingot comprises the following steps: S1. According to the weight proportion of the alloy chemical components, pure Al, pure Mg, Al-Er master alloy block, and Al-Mn master alloy block are weighed as raw materials respectively. Optionally, the raw materials also include Al-Sc master alloy block and / or Al-Zr master alloy block; S2, mixing pure Al and Al-Er master alloy blocks, heating, melting and stirring to obtain melt A; S3, adding Al-Mn master alloy block into melt A, heating, melting and stirring to obtain melt B; When the aluminum-erbium alloy contains Sc, an Al-Sc master alloy block is also added to the melt A; when the aluminum-erbium alloy contains Zr, an Al-Zr master alloy block is also added to the melt A; S4, press pure Mg into melt B to obtain melt C; S5, adding a refining agent and a covering agent to the melt obtained in step S4 and vacuum degassing to obtain a melt D; S6. After removing the slag from the melt D, the melt D is poured into a preheated mold to obtain a metal ingot.

10. An additively manufactured component made of the gas atomized powder of the aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 7; Preferably, the component has a yield strength greater than 440 MPa, a tensile strength greater than 550 MPa, and an elongation greater than 58%; Preferably, after the component is kept at 250-350° C. for 5-40 min, the yield strength is greater than 580 MPa, the tensile strength is greater than 630 MPa, and the elongation is greater than 8%.

11. A method of manufacturing a component, comprising: A powder form of the aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 7; The powder form is used in an additive manufacturing process to manufacture the component.

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