An Erbium-Containing High-Strength Aluminum Alloy for Suppressing Additive Manufacturing Spatter and Its Preparation Method

Abstract

This invention relates to an erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing spatter in additive manufacturing and its preparation method, belonging to the field of additive manufacturing technology. The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy includes Mn, Mg, Si, and Al elements. By mass percentage: the Mn content (W(Mn)) is 2.0-3.5%; the Mg content satisfies the following relationship: 0.5% + 0.2W(Mn) ≤ W(Mg) ≤ 2.0%; the Si content satisfies the following relationship: 0.1% + 0.05W(Mn) ≤ W(Si) ≤ 0.3W(Mn); the balance is Al. This invention solves the problems of spatter and black smoke caused by magnesium volatilization during the printing process of high-magnesium content aluminum alloys, as well as the problems of high-manganese content aluminum alloy melt viscosity and difficulty in powder preparation. The printed parts have no black slag residue on the forming surface, and the prepared alloy has a tensile strength of not less than 520 MPa.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of additive manufacturing technology, specifically to an erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing additive manufacturing spatter and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the high-strength aluminum alloy systems used in laser additive manufacturing are mainly Al-Mg and Al-Mn systems. These systems enhance material strength by adding a certain amount of rare earth elements to form a grain-refining strengthening phase diagram. However, in actual production, it has been found that Al-Mg alloys produce more splatter during printing, resulting in larger amounts of dust that adheres to the forming surface of the part and the galvanometer surface, causing numerous internal defects. Al-Mn alloys, due to their high Mn content, have a higher viscosity in the alloy liquid, making the atomization process prone to clogging of the guide tubes, thus affecting production efficiency.

[0003] The invention patent with publication number CN114277285A discloses a high-strength aluminum alloy powder, whose main components are Al-Mn-Mg-Sc, wherein the amount of Mn added is 4.2-6.0% and the amount of Mg is 1.2-3.0%. In this scheme, the excessive amount of manganese added makes the aluminum liquid viscosity high, making it difficult to make powder.

[0004] The invention patent with publication number CN117245084A discloses a 3D printing method for a high-strength, high-temperature resistant aluminum alloy Al-Mg-Er-Zr. By adding rare earth elements such as Er, Fe, and Si, it solves the problem of easy cracking in traditional Al-Mg alloy 3D printing. However, in the additive manufacturing process of the high-strength aluminum alloy described in the patent, when the size of the formed part is large and the forming area is large, a large amount of spatter and smoke are generated during the printing process. Some of it can enter the filtration system through the air field, but most of the spatter falls on the forming surface. After a long period of printing, the smoke and dust formed are adsorbed on the surface of the galvanometer, causing the laser power to attenuate. The laser reaching the forming area cannot completely melt the powder of the current forming layer due to the low heat input, resulting in a large number of unfused defects inside the formed part, affecting the final performance of the part. After a large number of experiments and analyses, it was found that the main reason for the large amount of spatter and black smoke in the high-strength aluminum alloy material is the excessive magnesium content in the alloy. During the printing process, some magnesium volatilizes to form black smoke, which adheres to the surface of the galvanometer, causing the laser power to attenuate. At the same time, a large amount of spatter is formed on the sintering surface, affecting the sintering quality of the forming surface. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy that suppresses additive manufacturing spatter and its preparation method, which can solve the spatter and black smoke problems generated by aluminum alloy systems during the printing process mentioned in the background art, while ensuring the mechanical strength of the aluminum alloy.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing additive manufacturing spatter, wherein the chemical composition of the aluminum alloy includes Mn, Mg, Si, and Al elements, in mass percentages as follows:

[0007] The content of the Mn element, W(Mn), is 2.0-3.5%;

[0008] The content of Mg and Mn elements satisfy the following relationship: 0.5% + 0.2W(Mn) ≤ W(Mg) ≤ 2.0%;

[0009] The content of Si element and the content of Mn element satisfy the following relationship: 0.1% + 0.05W(Mn) ≤ W(Si) ≤ 0.3W(Mn);

[0010] The balance is Al element.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the chemical composition of the aluminum alloy further includes Zr, Er, and Sc.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the Er element content W(Er) is 0.61-1.5% by mass percentage, the Sc element content W(Sc) is 0.2-0.6%, and the Zr element content satisfies the following relationship with the Er, Sc, and Mn elements: 0.8W(Sc) + 0.6W(Er) - 0.05W(Mn) ≤ W(Zr) ≤ 1.0% + 0.1W(Mn).

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the aluminum alloy also includes Fe in its chemical composition.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the Fe content and the Si content, by mass percentage, satisfy the following relationship: W(Si) + W(Fe) = 0.4–1.0%.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing an erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy that suppresses additive manufacturing spatter, comprising the following steps:

[0016] S1. Alloy smelting: Melting aluminum alloy ingots or element materials that meet the composition requirements to obtain aluminum alloy liquid;

[0017] S2. Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is atomized to produce powder;

[0018] S3. Powder post-treatment: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is graded.

[0019] S4. Additive manufacturing: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range after classification is melted and formed to obtain high-strength aluminum alloy products.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, in step S1, the melting temperature is 800-1000℃.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, in step S2, the atomization pressure of the atomization powder is 3-5 MPa, and the atomization nozzle structure used in the atomization process is a pore-slit composite structure.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, in step S3, the target particle size range for the grading process is 15-53 μm or 20-63 μm.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, in step S4, the high-strength aluminum alloy powder is formed by laser powder bed melting, with a laser power of 300-400W, a scanning speed of 900-1500mm / s, a scanning spacing of 0.08-0.12mm, and a layer thickness of 0.03-0.06mm.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] 1. The technical solution provided by this invention avoids splashing and black smoke problems by reducing the Mg content, while appropriately increasing the Mn content to compensate for the loss of mechanical strength in aluminum alloy products caused by the reduction in Mg content. Specifically, Mg and Mn mainly play the roles of solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening in aluminum alloys. Mn can form the Al6Mn phase with the Al matrix to achieve precipitation strengthening and improve alloy strength. After the Mg content is reduced, the Mn content is appropriately increased to form the Al6Mn strengthening phase during heat treatment, thus compensating for the strength loss caused by the reduction in Mg content.

[0026] 2. This invention, by adding an appropriate amount of Si, can improve the problem of high melt viscosity and difficulty in casting caused by excessive Mn content, while reducing the generation of printing cracks. Specifically, the solubility of Mn in aluminum alloys is approximately 1.5%. Excessive Mn addition can easily lead to an increase in precipitated particles, forming more solid phases and increasing the viscosity of the aluminum alloy melt. In this technical solution, an appropriate amount of Si is added, and a relationship between Si and Mn content is established. On the one hand, increasing the Si content can narrow the solidification range of the aluminum alloy melt, reducing the generation of printing cracks. On the other hand, adding Si can reduce the segregation tendency of alloying elements during solidification, effectively improving the thermal conductivity of the aluminum alloy, making the heat distribution in the aluminum alloy melt more uniform, effectively improving melt fluidity, and solving the problem of high melt viscosity caused by excessive Mn content in the atomization powder production process.

[0027] 3. By adding Zr and rare earth elements Er and Sc in combination, Al3(Er / Sc / Zr) nano-precipitates are formed after heat treatment, further increasing the alloy strength. However, both Zr and Mn elements can improve alloy strength. For every 0.1% increase in Zr content, the aluminum alloy strength increases by 10-20 MPa, and for every 0.5% increase in Mn content, the alloy strength increases by 30-50 MPa. Therefore, when increasing manganese content, the zirconium content should be appropriately reduced. This invention establishes a correspondence between the minimum and maximum addition amounts of zirconium and manganese, which can avoid problems such as printing cracking caused by excessively high alloy strength.

[0028] In summary, the high-strength aluminum alloy provided by this invention avoids splashing and black smoke problems by reducing the Mg content, but this weakens the solid solution strengthening effect of Mg and reduces the alloy strength. However, the added Mn element increases the alloy strength by forming the Al6Mn strengthening phase. The Er, Zr, and Sc elements form the Al3 (Er / Sc / Zr) nano-strengthening phase, which can further improve the alloy strength, so that the mechanical properties of the high-strength aluminum alloy in this technical solution are not affected. At the same time, a proportional relationship between Si content and Mn element addition is established. Increasing the Mn content and simultaneously increasing the Si content can improve the problem of high melt viscosity and difficulty in casting caused by excessive Mn content. This solution effectively addresses the problems of magnesium volatilization forming black smoke during the printing of Al-Mg high-strength aluminum alloys, which affects the quality of printed parts, and the high viscosity of Al-Mn high-strength aluminum alloy melts, making powder preparation difficult. The high-strength aluminum alloy provided by this invention significantly reduces splashing and smoke during printing, and the printed parts exhibit a metallic luster with no black residue. At the same time, the mechanical properties of the aluminum alloy are not affected, and its performance is comparable to or even superior to existing technologies. After heat treatment, the tensile strength of the material is still not less than 520 MPa, and the elongation is not less than 12%. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 These are photographs of the printing process in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 These are photographs of the printing process in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 These are photographs of the printing process in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a photograph of the printing process in Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 These are photographs of the printing process in Embodiment 5 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6A photograph of the printing process in Comparative Example 1 of this invention;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a photograph of the printing process in Comparative Example 2 of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 8 This is a photograph of the printing process in Comparative Example 3 of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 9 This is a photograph of the internal metallographic structure of Comparative Example 3 of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 10 This is a photograph of the printing process in Comparative Example 4 of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 11 This is a photograph of the internal metallographic structure of Comparative Example 5 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] This invention discloses an erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing additive manufacturing spatter, comprising Mn, Mg, Si, Al, and Zr, Er, Sc, and Fe elements, in the following mass percentages:

[0042] The content of the Mn element, W(Mn), is 2.0-3.5%;

[0043] The content of Mg and Mn elements satisfy the following relationship: 0.5% + 0.2W(Mn) ≤ W(Mg) ≤ 2.0%;

[0044] The content of Si element and the content of Mn element satisfy the following relationship: 0.1% + 0.05W(Mn) ≤ W(Si) ≤ 0.3W(Mn);

[0045] The content of Er element, W(Er), is 0.61-1.5%;

[0046] The content of the Sc element, W(Sc), is 0.2-0.6%.

[0047] The content of Zr element and the contents of Er, Sc and Mn elements satisfy the following relationship: 0.8W(Sc)+0.6W(Er)-0.05W(Mn)≤W(Zr)≤1.0%+0.1W(Mn);

[0048] The Fe content and the Si content satisfy the following relationship: W(Si) + W(Fe) = 0.4~1.0%;

[0049] The balance is Al element.

[0050] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing an erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy that suppresses additive manufacturing spatter, comprising the following steps:

[0051] S1. Alloy melting: Aluminum alloy ingots or element materials that meet the above composition requirements are placed in a crucible for melting to obtain molten aluminum alloy;

[0052] S2. Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is poured into the intermediate ladle crucible for atomization and powder production;

[0053] S3. Powder post-treatment: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is classified according to the particle size requirements.

[0054] S4. Additive manufacturing: High-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range obtained by sieving is melt-formed using laser powder bed to obtain high-strength aluminum alloy products.

[0055] Specifically, in step S1, the melting temperature is 800-1000℃;

[0056] In step S2, the atomization pressure of the atomization powder is 3-5 MPa, and the atomization nozzle structure used in the atomization process is a pore-slit composite structure.

[0057] In step S3, the target particle size range for the grading process is 15-53μm or 20-63μmm, and the frequency used by the sieving equipment is 20-35HZ.

[0058] In step S4, the laser power used is 300-400W, the scanning speed is 900-1500mm / s, the scanning interval is 0.08-0.12mm, and the layer thickness is 0.03-0.06mm; the heat treatment regime used is 280-350℃, and after holding at that temperature for 2-5 hours, it is air-cooled.

[0059] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. It should also be understood that the following embodiments are only for further illustration of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-essential improvements and adjustments made by those skilled in the art based on the above description of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention. The specific process parameters, etc., in the following examples are merely examples within a suitable range; that is, those skilled in the art can make appropriate selections within the appropriate range based on the description herein, and are not intended to be limited to the specific values ​​in the examples below.

[0060] Example 1

[0061] The chemical composition of the high-strength aluminum alloy, by mass percentage, is as follows: W(Mn): 2.0%; W(Mg): 1.0%; W(Er): 0.65%; W(Sc): 0.2%; W(Zr): 0.5%; W(Fe): 0.25%; W(Si): 0.25%; with the balance being Al.

[0062] The high-strength aluminum alloy is prepared as follows:

[0063] S1. Alloy smelting: According to the above composition requirements, the element materials are proportioned, and the binary alloy materials of Al ingot, Al-Mg, Al-Mn, Al-Si, Al-Fe, Al-Er, Al-Zr and Al-Sc that meet the above proportions are placed into a crucible for smelting to obtain aluminum alloy liquid. The smelting temperature is 800℃ and the holding time is 30min.

[0064] S2: Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is poured into the intermediate ladle crucible for atomization powder making. The atomization pressure is 3MPa. The atomization nozzle structure used is a slit-hole composite structure.

[0065] S3: Powder post-processing: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is classified according to the particle size requirements. The powder particle size is 15-53μm and the sieving frequency is 25HZ.

[0066] S4: Additive manufacturing molding: High-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range obtained by sieving is subjected to laser powder bed melting molding to prepare high-strength aluminum alloy products. The laser power used is 300W, the scanning speed is 900mm / s, the scanning interval is 0.12mm, the printing layer thickness is 0.03mm, the heat treatment regime is 280℃, and after holding at the temperature for 2 hours, it is air cooled.

[0067] Table 1 shows the specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the high-strength aluminum alloy embossed specimens. Photos of the embossing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 1 .

[0068] Example 2

[0069] The elements in the high-strength aluminum alloy, by mass percentage, are: W(Mn): 2.3%; W(Mg): 1.3%; W(Er): 0.85%; W(Sc): 0.3%; W(Zr): 0.7%; W(Fe): 0.3%; W(Si): 0.35%, with the balance being Al.

[0070] The high-strength aluminum alloy is prepared as follows:

[0071] S1. Alloy smelting: According to the above composition requirements, the element materials are proportioned, and the binary alloy materials of Al ingot, Al-Mg, Al-Mn, Al-Si, Al-Fe, Al-Er, Al-Zr and Al-Sc that meet the above proportions are placed into a crucible for smelting to obtain aluminum alloy liquid. The smelting temperature is 850℃ and the holding time is 20min.

[0072] S2: Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is poured into the intermediate ladle crucible for atomization powder making. The atomization pressure is 3.5MPa, and the atomization nozzle structure used is a slit-hole composite structure.

[0073] S3: Powder post-treatment: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is classified according to the particle size requirements. The powder particle size is 20-63μm and the sieving frequency is 30HZ.

[0074] S4: Additive manufacturing molding: High-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range obtained by sieving is subjected to laser powder bed melting molding to prepare high-strength aluminum alloy products. The laser power used is 320W, the scanning speed is 1000mm / s, the scanning interval is 0.1mm, the printing layer thickness is 0.04mm, the heat treatment regime is 300℃, and after holding at the temperature for 5 hours, it is air cooled.

[0075] Table 1 shows the specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the high-strength aluminum alloy embossed specimens. Photos of the embossing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 2 .

[0076] Example 3

[0077] The elements in the high-strength aluminum alloy, by mass percentage, are: W(Mn): 2.75%; W(Mg): 1.5%; W(Er): 1.05%; W(Sc): 0.4%; W(Zr): 0.9%; W(Fe): 0.35%; W(Si): 0.4%, with the balance being Al.

[0078] The high-strength aluminum alloy is prepared as follows:

[0079] S1. Alloy smelting: According to the above composition requirements, the element materials are proportioned, and the binary alloy materials of Al ingot, Al-Mg, Al-Mn, Al-Si, Al-Fe, Al-Er, Al-Zr and Al-Sc that meet the above proportions are placed into a crucible for smelting to obtain aluminum alloy liquid. The smelting temperature is 900℃ and the holding time is 20min.

[0080] S2: Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is poured into the intermediate ladle crucible for atomization powder making. The atomization pressure is 4MPa. The atomization nozzle structure used is a slit-hole composite structure.

[0081] S3: Powder post-treatment: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is classified according to the particle size requirements. The powder particle size is 20-63μm and the sieving frequency is 30HZ.

[0082] S4: Additive manufacturing molding: High-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range obtained by sieving is subjected to laser powder bed melting molding to prepare high-strength aluminum alloy products. The laser power used is 350W, the scanning speed is 1100mm / s, the scanning interval is 0.11mm, the printing layer thickness is 0.03mm, the heat treatment regime is 300℃, and after holding at the temperature for 2 hours, it is air cooled.

[0083] Table 1 shows the specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the high-strength aluminum alloy embossed specimens. Photos of the embossing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 3 .

[0084] Example 4

[0085] The elements in the high-strength aluminum alloy, by mass percentage, are: W(Mn): 3.05%; W(Mg): 1.75%; W(Er): 1.25%; W(Sc): 0.5%; W(Zr): 1.1%; W(Fe): 0.4%; W(Si): 0.5%; with the balance being Al.

[0086] The high-strength aluminum alloy is prepared as follows:

[0087] S1. Alloy smelting: According to the above composition requirements, the element materials are proportioned, and the binary alloy materials of Al ingot, Al-Mg, Al-Mn, Al-Si, Al-Fe, Al-Er, Al-Zr and Al-Sc that meet the above proportions are placed into a crucible for smelting to obtain aluminum alloy liquid. The smelting temperature is 950℃ and the holding time is 15min.

[0088] S2: Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is poured into the intermediate ladle crucible for atomization powder making. The atomization pressure is 4.5MPa, and the atomization nozzle structure used is a slit-hole composite structure.

[0089] S3: Powder post-processing: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is classified according to the particle size requirements. The powder particle size is 15-53μm and the sieving frequency is 35HZ.

[0090] S4: Additive manufacturing molding: High-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range obtained by sieving is subjected to laser powder bed melting molding to prepare high-strength aluminum alloy products. The laser power used is 375W, the scanning speed is 1200mm / s, the scanning interval is 0.1mm, the printing layer thickness is 0.04mm, the heat treatment regime is 325℃, and the heat treatment is carried out for 5 hours and then air-cooled.

[0091] Table 1 shows the specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the high-strength aluminum alloy embossed specimens. Photos of the embossing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 4 .

[0092] Example 5

[0093] The elements in the high-strength aluminum alloy, by mass percentage, are: W(Mn): 3.45%; W(Mg): 1.95%; W(Er): 1.5%; W(Sc): 0.6%; W(Zr): 1.3%; W(Fe): 0.35%; W(Si): 0.6%; with the balance being Al.

[0094] The high-strength aluminum alloy is prepared as follows:

[0095] S1. Alloy smelting: According to the above composition requirements, the element materials are proportioned, and the binary alloy materials of Al ingot, Al-Mg, Al-Mn, Al-Si, Al-Fe, Al-Er, Al-Zr and Al-Sc that meet the above proportions are placed into a crucible for smelting to obtain aluminum alloy liquid. The smelting temperature is 1000℃ and the holding time is 15min.

[0096] S2: Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is poured into the intermediate ladle crucible for atomization powder making. The atomization pressure is 5MPa, and the atomization nozzle structure used is a slit-hole composite structure.

[0097] S3: Powder post-processing: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is classified according to the particle size requirements. The powder particle size is 15-53μm and the sieving frequency is 30HZ.

[0098] S4: Additive manufacturing molding: High-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range obtained by sieving is subjected to laser powder bed melting molding to prepare high-strength aluminum alloy products. The laser power used is 400W, the scanning speed is 1500mm / s, the scanning interval is 0.08mm, the printing layer thickness is 0.04mm, the heat treatment regime is 350℃, and the heat treatment is carried out for 5 hours and then air-cooled.

[0099] Table 1 shows the specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the high-strength aluminum alloy embossed specimens. Photos of the embossing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 5 .

[0100] Comparative Example 1 (High Mg Content)

[0101] Except for the Mg content being slightly higher compared to Example 3, all other conditions in this comparative example are the same as in Example 3.

[0102] The chemical composition of the high-strength aluminum alloy powder in this comparative example is as follows: W(Mn): 2.75%; W(Mg): 3.5%; W(Er): 1.05%; W(Sc): 0.4%; W(Zr): 0.9%; W(Fe): 0.35%; W(Si): 0.4%, with the balance being Al.

[0103] The specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the printed specimens are shown in Table 1. Photos of the printing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 6 .

[0104] Comparative Example 2 (High Mn Content)

[0105] Except for the higher Mn content compared to Example 3, all other conditions in this comparative example are the same as in Example 3.

[0106] The chemical composition of the high-strength aluminum alloy powder in this comparative example is as follows: W(Mn): 4.0%; W(Mg): 1.5%; W(Er): 1.05%; W(Sc): 0.4%; W(Zr): 0.9%; W(Fe): 0.35%; W(Si): 0.4%, with the balance being Al.

[0107] The specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the printed specimens are shown in Table 1. Photos of the printing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 7 .

[0108] Comparative Example 3 (without Si)

[0109] In this comparative example, the chemical composition of the high-strength aluminum alloy powder does not contain Si, and all other conditions are the same as in Example 3.

[0110] The chemical composition of the high-strength aluminum alloy powder in this comparative example is as follows: W(Mn): 2.75%; W(Mg): 1.5%; W(Er): 1.05%; W(Sc): 0.4%; W(Zr): 0.9%; W(Fe): 0.35%; with the balance being Al.

[0111] The specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the printed specimens are shown in Table 1. Photos of the printing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 8 See the photograph of the internal metallographic structure. Figure 9 .

[0112] Comparative Example 4 (low Mn content)

[0113] Except for the lower Mn content compared to Example 3, all other conditions in this comparative example are the same as in Example 3.

[0114] The chemical composition of the high-strength aluminum alloy powder in this comparative example is as follows: W(Mn): 1.5%; W(Mg): 1.5%; W(Er): 1.05%; W(Sc): 0.4%; W(Zr): 0.9%; W(Fe): 0.35%; W(Si): 0.4%; with the balance being Al.

[0115] The specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the printed specimens are shown in Table 1. Photos of the printing process can be found in [link to table]. Figure 10 .

[0116] Comparative Example 5 (Zr content is relatively high)

[0117] Except for the Zr content being slightly higher compared to Example 3, all other conditions in this comparative example are the same as in Example 3.

[0118] The chemical composition of the high-strength aluminum alloy powder in this comparative example is as follows: W(Mn): 2.75%; W(Mg): 1.5%; W(Er): 1.05%; W(Sc): 0.4%; W(Zr): 1.4%; W(Fe): 0.35%; W(Si): 0.4%; with the balance being Al.

[0119] The specific data on the density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the printed specimen are shown in Table 1. Internal metallographic images are available in [reference needed]. Figure 11 .

[0120] The specific data of density, room temperature tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, etc. of the high-strength aluminum alloy printed samples prepared in Examples 1-5 and Comparative Examples 1-4 are shown in Table 1.

[0121] Table 1. Mechanical property data of aluminum alloy samples obtained from the examples and comparative examples.

[0122]

[0123]

[0124] As can be seen from Examples 1-5, the internal density of the aluminum alloy samples provided in each embodiment of the present invention is above 99.5%, and after heat treatment, the room temperature tensile strength of the samples is above 520 MPa, and the elongation is above 12%. Figures 1-5 As can be seen from the printing process photos, no obvious smoke or black residue was present in any of the embodiments during the actual molding process.

[0125] Comparing Example 3 with Comparative Example 1, it can be seen that when the magnesium content increases, the mechanical properties of the printed part are significantly improved, with a tensile strength reaching 570 MPa. However, combined with... Figure 6It can be seen that due to the excessive magnesium content, a lot of smoke and dust were generated during the printing process, and a large amount of black slag was present on the sintered surface. The material elongation was reduced, indicating that there were many defects inside the printed sample.

[0126] Comparing Example 3 and Comparative Example 2, it can be seen that increasing the manganese content slightly improves the performance of the printed parts. Figure 7 It can be seen that no large amount of smoke and black residue was produced during the printing process. However, due to the high Mn content and high viscosity of the aluminum alloy melt, the powder in this batch was clogged in the guide tube during the powder preparation process, resulting in a deviation in the continuity of the production process.

[0127] Comparative Example 3 and Comparative Example 3, and in conjunction with Figure 8 and Figure 9 It can be seen that when no silicon is added to the alloy, there is no obvious smoke or dust during the printing process, but black slag is present at the edge of the sample. Metallographic analysis reveals a large number of microcracks inside the sample, and the strength and elongation of the printed parts are significantly reduced. Furthermore, the flow channel was blocked during the powder preparation process of this batch of powder. This indicates that adding a small amount of silicon helps to improve the fluidity of the aluminum alloy melt, narrow the solidification zone, and reduce the generation of printing cracks.

[0128] Comparative Example 3 and Comparative Example 4, and in conjunction with Figure 10 It can be seen that when the manganese content in the alloy decreases, there is no obvious smoke or black slag during the printing process, but the strength of the printed part is lower than 520 MPa, which indicates that the manganese content helps to improve the strength of the material.

[0129] Comparative Example 3 and Comparative Example 5, and in conjunction with Figure 11 It can be seen that when the Zr content in the alloy is high, the material strength increases, and a large amount of Zr segregation appears in the metallographic structure inside the printed specimen. Figure 11 The presence of white particles and microcracks affects the overall mechanical properties of the alloy.

[0130] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing additive manufacturing spatter, characterized in that, The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy includes Mn, Mg, Si, and Al elements, expressed as a percentage by mass: The content of the Mn element, W(Mn), is 2.0-3.5%; The content of Mg and Mn elements satisfy the following relationship: 0.5% + 0.2W(Mn) ≤ W(Mg) ≤ 2.0%; The content of Si and the content of Mn satisfy the following relationship: 0.1% + 0.05W(Mn) ≤ W(Si) ≤ 0.3W(Mn); The balance is Al element; The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy also includes Zr, Er, and Sc elements. By mass percentage, the Er content W(Er) is 0.61-1.5%, the Sc content W(Sc) is 0.2-0.6%, and the Zr content, Er, Sc, and Mn content satisfy the following relationship: 0.8W(Sc) + 0.6W(Er) - 0.05W(Mn) ≤ W(Zr) ≤ 1.0% + 0.1W(Mn).

2. The erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing additive manufacturing spatter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy also includes the element Fe.

3. The erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing additive manufacturing spatter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The Fe content and the Si content, by mass percentage, satisfy the following relationship: W(Si) + W(Fe) = 0.4–1.0%.

4. The method for preparing the erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy for suppressing additive manufacturing spatter as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Alloy smelting: Melting aluminum alloy ingots or element materials that meet the composition requirements to obtain aluminum alloy liquid; S2. Powder atomization: The aluminum alloy liquid is atomized to produce powder; S3. Powder post-treatment: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder obtained after atomization is graded. S4. Additive manufacturing: The high-strength aluminum alloy powder of the target particle size range after classification is melted and formed to obtain high-strength aluminum alloy products.

5. The method for preparing erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy with anti-additive manufacturing spatter according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step S1, the melting temperature is 800-1000℃.

6. The method for preparing erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy with anti-additive manufacturing spatter according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step S2, the atomization pressure of the atomization powder is 3-5 MPa, and the atomization nozzle structure used in the atomization process is a pore-slit composite structure.

7. The method for preparing erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy with anti-additive manufacturing spatter according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step S3, the target particle size range for the grading process is 15-53 μm or 20-63 μm.

8. The method for preparing erbium-containing high-strength aluminum alloy with anti-additive manufacturing spatter according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step S4, the high-strength aluminum alloy powder is formed by laser powder bed melting. The laser power is 300-400W, the scanning speed is 900-1500mm / s, the scanning spacing is 0.08-0.12mm, and the layer thickness is 0.03-0.06mm.

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