High-conductivity aluminum alloy

Abstract

The present application relates to an aluminum alloy in powder form comprising up to 8% by weight of Ni and up to 4% by weight of Fe. The corresponding alloys provide a beneficial combination of high electrical conductivity, moderate strength, good abrasion resistance, and good stability at temperatures up to 250 DEG C. The powder has a particle size d50 of from 2 to 90 microns, which makes the powder particularly suitable for use in powder bed-based additive manufacturing processes. The application also relates to a method for producing such an aluminum alloy powder, to a method for producing a three-dimensional object using a corresponding aluminum alloy powder, and to the three-dimensional object produced thereby, and to a combination of an apparatus for producing such a three-dimensional object and a corresponding aluminum alloy powder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an aluminum alloy in powder form, which contains up to 8% by weight of Ni and up to 4% by weight of Fe. The corresponding alloy provides a beneficial combination of properties including high electrical conductivity, moderate strength, good wear resistance and good stability at temperatures up to 250° C. The powder is characterized by a particle size d50 of 2 to 90 microns, which makes the powder particularly suitable for powder bed-based additive manufacturing processes. The present application also relates to a process for producing such an aluminum alloy powder, a method for producing a three-dimensional object using the corresponding aluminum alloy powder, and the corresponding three-dimensional object prepared thereby, as well as a combination of an apparatus for producing such a three-dimensional object and the corresponding aluminum alloy powder. Background Art

[0002] Aluminum alloys, especially those that provide high strength, are widely studied in vehicle and aircraft (especially automobile) manufacturing as people are constantly seeking to improve performance and fuel efficiency. These alloys can generally be processed into the required components by bulk forming processes such as extrusion, rolling, forging, stamping or casting techniques such as die casting, sand casting, investment casting (precision casting), gravity casting, etc.

[0003] In recent years, "rapid protyping" or "rapid tooling" has gained increasing attention in metalworking. These methods are also known as selective laser sintering (SLS) and selective laser melting (SLM). In these methods, thin layers of material in powder form are repeatedly applied and in each layer the material is selectively solidified in the area where the subsequent product is to be located. By irradiation with a laser beam, the material first melts at predetermined locations and then solidifies. Thus, a complete three-dimensional body can be built up step by step.

[0004] For example, EP 1 762 122 A1 discloses a method for producing three-dimensional objects by selective laser sintering or selective laser melting and a device for carrying out the method.

[0005] In rapid prototyping and tool making, especially in aerospace and automotive applications, the most widely used aluminum alloy is AlSi 10Mg, which contains Si and Mg as the main alloying elements (Si 10% by weight, Mg about 0.45% by weight). Due to the strengthening mechanism of Si and Mg additions, this alloy can achieve moderate strength. However, as a trade-off, the alloying elements Si and Mg have an adverse effect on the electrical conductivity of the alloy. Although the electrical conductivity of aluminum alloys is generally good, the electrical conductivity of highly alloyed grades is far below the theoretical maximum value of 240 W / mK for high-purity aluminum alloys and the electrical conductivity of about 64% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard).

[0006] The electrical conductivity of aluminum can be increased by reducing the content of alloying elements, but in this case, the strength and machinability of the alloy in additive manufacturing (AM) are compromised. For example, cracking often occurs during the additive manufacturing process of traditional wrought aluminum alloys such as EN-AW 6060, EN-AW6082 or EN-AW 6101. On the other hand, the strength of pure aluminum is only about 1 / 4 of that of AlSi10Mg, making it almost unusable as a structural material. The high reflectivity of unalloyed aluminum also reduces the coupling efficiency of laser energy and increases defects such as under-fusion (LOF) pores. In addition, cold welding is prone to occur in the frictional sliding contact between the steel blade and pure aluminum, which can cause the recoating scraper to stick to the part during the AM build process. This leads to interruption or failure of the part build process.

[0007] The conduction of heat and electricity in metals is due to the free movement of electrons in the material, and the transfer of thermal energy is also partly due to phonon conduction, i.e., lattice vibrations. However, the main mode of conduction is electronic conduction.

[0008] Cast alloy grades (such as F357, AlSi7Mg0.6) can be heat treated to affect their mechanical properties because they are able to form supersaturated solid solutions, which are subsequently precipitated during aging. However, peak aging conditions reduce electrical conductivity. The high solubility of alloying elements is a key factor in reducing electrical conductivity. The more alloying elements are trapped in the lattice of the base metal, the more they hinder the conduction of electrons and phonons by distorting the metal lattice. If the supersaturation is reduced by forming precipitates (small individual particles of different phases) through aging heat treatment, the electrical conductivity can usually be improved. However, if the newly formed particles have high coherence and mismatch with the aluminum matrix (such as in peak hardening conditions), the lattice distortion caused by the precipitates can reduce the conductivity again.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for an aluminum alloy that can be processed by an alloy powder bed based additive manufacturing process, which alloy provides high electrical conductivity, good wear resistance and good stability at high temperatures.

[0010] The present application addresses these needs. Summary of the invention

[0011] During the present research, it was unexpectedly found that an aluminum alloy powder containing up to 8 wt. % Ni and up to 4 wt. % Fe offers an improved compromise of electrical conductivity, wear resistance and stability at high temperatures and can be processed via a powder bed method or by additive manufacturing from corresponding powders to provide corresponding three-dimensional objects.

[0012] Thus, in a first aspect, the present application relates to an aluminium alloy in powder form comprising up to 8 wt. % Ni and up to 4 wt. % Fe, and characterised in that the alloy has a particle size d50 (determined by laser scattering or laser diffraction according to ISO 13320) of 2 to 90 micrometres. Preferably, for applications requiring high electrical conductivity, the amount of alloying elements in the aluminium alloy is less than 4 wt. %, more preferably less than 2 wt. %, with the balance to 100 wt. % being provided by aluminium, optional additions and unavoidable impurities (including non-metallic elements such as N, C and O). More preferably, the aluminium alloy further comprises up to 1 wt. % alloying elements other than Al, Fe and Ni, in particular in the form of elements which can be precipitated using heat treatment to increase strength at the expense of a slight loss of electrical conductivity (as optional additions), and unavoidable impurities, with the balance to 100 wt. % being provided by aluminium. Examples of elements that can be precipitated using heat treatment to increase strength include in particular Cu, Sc, Zr, Mg, Ag, Mn, Sn, Cr, Li and / or Bi, which can be incorporated into the aluminum alloy alone or in a mixture of one or more thereof, usually in an amount of up to 0.5% by weight. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the balance to 100% by weight together with the Ni and Fe contents is provided by aluminum and unavoidable impurities.

[0013] As an alternative to the above-mentioned aluminum powder, a mixture of elemental aluminum powder and aluminum alloy powder can also be used, wherein the amount of Ni and Fe in the powder is up to 8 wt% and 4 wt%, respectively. In addition, elemental powders can also be used, wherein the combination of aluminum powder, Ni powder and Fe powder makes the mixture contain up to 8 wt% and 4 wt%, respectively. Such mixtures are also referred to as "powder mixtures that meet the requirements of powder-form aluminum alloys" below. For the sake of brevity, the following references to the powder-form aluminum alloy of the present invention are also intended to cover embodiments of compositions consisting of a powder mixture containing one or more elemental powders or a certain proportion of elemental powders (such as aluminum) and pre-alloys, which provide the composition of each powder-form aluminum alloy to the product during processing.

[0014] Aluminum alloys containing Fe and Ni as transition metals are known, for example from Koatidis S. et al., Metallurgical and material transitions A2020, volume 51A, pages 4195-4214, which study the use of such alloys in casting applications. In addition, an aluminum alloy containing 1 wt. % Fe and 1 wt. % Ni is known from Silva BL et al., Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 691 (2017), pages 952-60, wherein the microstructure and mechanical properties of atomized and extruded samples of the alloy were studied.

[0015] In addition, WO 2018 / 119283 A1 discloses an aluminum alloy containing 1 to 17 wt. % Ni and 1 to 8 wt. % Fe, but the document does not disclose an aluminum alloy within the content limits as described above.

[0016] In the aluminum alloy powder of the present invention, the expression "containing up to 8 wt% Ni and up to 4 wt% Fe" means that the aluminum alloy contains at least one of Ni or Fe in a relevant amount (at least 0.1 wt%). Preferably, the aluminum alloy contains at least 0.1 wt% Ni and Fe.

[0017] The advantage provided by iron and nickel as alloying elements is their low solubility in the aluminum matrix (the solubility of these elements in aluminum is very small or even negligible). In addition, Fe reduces the tendency of aluminum to weld with tool steel, thereby alleviating the above-mentioned problems in aluminum alloy powder processing.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the aluminum alloy in powder form contains up to 4 wt. % Ni, preferably at least 0.2 wt. % and / or not more than 2 wt. % Ni, and more preferably at least 0.8 wt. % and / or not more than 1.6 wt. % Ni, or at least 0.4 wt. % and / or not more than 1.2 wt. % Ni. Alternatively or in addition, the aluminum alloy in powder form contains up to 2 wt. % Fe, preferably up to 0.6 wt. %, and more preferably at least 0.2 wt. % and / or not more than 0.5 wt. % Fe.

[0019] As described above, in a preferred embodiment, the aluminum alloy powder of the present invention contains both Fe and Ni. In this case, the aluminum alloy powder may contain Ni in excess of the Fe content. In one embodiment, the ratio of Ni / Fe is in the range of 1.2:1 to 6:1, particularly 1.5:1 to 4.5:1.

[0020] On the other hand, vanadium, chromium and titanium as alloying elements have an adverse effect on the electrical conductivity of the alloy, so it is preferred that these elements (if present) are present in the aluminum alloy powder of the present invention in an amount equal to or less than 1% by weight, more preferably equal to or less than 0.5% by weight, and even more preferably equal to or less than 0.1% by weight. Most preferably, vanadium, chromium and titanium are present in the aluminum alloy powder of the present invention only in unavoidable trace amounts.

[0021] The powder constituting the aluminum alloy in powder form must have a particle size that allows suitable processing when the powder is used in an additive manufacturing method. Suitably, the particle size of the aluminum alloy powder (determined by laser scattering or laser diffraction according to ISO 13320:2009) is expressed as a median grain size d50 of 15 microns or more, preferably 25 microns or more. On the other hand, the median grain size of the aluminum alloy powder should preferably be 75 microns or less, more preferably 50 microns or less. In the context of particle size determination, d50 is determined using, for example, a HELOS device from Sympatec GmbH.

[0022] A lower tendency to stick to steel recoat blades, as well as a reduction in other processing difficulties, was observed for the aluminum alloy powders of the present invention when compared to pure aluminum grades.

[0023] A second aspect of the invention relates to a process for preparing the above powder mixture, wherein a molten aluminum alloy having the above composition is atomized in a suitable device, or prepared by dry alloying a single metal powder or a precursor powder containing two or more elements. In addition, one or more components of the aluminum alloy can be prepared by grinding into particles from a solid precursor or by a rapid solidification method (such as melt spinning).

[0024] In a third aspect, the invention relates to a process for manufacturing a three-dimensional object, wherein an aluminum alloy in powder form comprising up to 8% by weight of Ni and up to 4% by weight of Fe or a mixture of corresponding elemental powder precursors thereof, either in elemental or mixed, is provided, and the object is prepared by applying the aluminum alloy in powder form or the powder mixture layer by layer and selectively solidifying the powder in each layer at a position corresponding to the cross section of the object in that layer, in particular by applying electromagnetic radiation or electron beam radiation, wherein the positions with the interaction area, in particular the radiation interaction area of ​​the energy beam, are scanned. Preferably, in this process, the aluminum alloy in powder form is an aluminum alloy powder as defined above, i.e. a powder having a particle size d50 of 2 to 90 micrometers, determined by laser scattering or laser diffraction according to ISO 13320.

[0025] In one embodiment, the process is performed as a selective laser sintering (SLS) or selective laser melting (SLM) process, sometimes also referred to as "direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)".

[0026] Alternatively, the process can be carried out so that solidification of the powder mixture is achieved by applying a binder to the powder in the area where the three-dimensional object is to be created, which binder can optionally be cured by applying electromagnetic radiation to provide a consolidated powder structure (sometimes also referred to as a "green object"). The object can then be converted into the final three-dimensional object by a sintering process, in which the binder is degraded and removed from the object, and the powder particles form a consolidated dense object. Such a process is commercialized, for example, by HP and is called "Multi jet fusion".

[0027] Whichever of the above processes is used, it is preferably applied in a layer thickness suitable for processing by additive manufacturing or applied layer by layer, for example a layer thickness in the range of 20 to 60 microns, preferably a thickness of at least 25 microns and / or at most 50 microns, and more preferably a thickness of at least 30 microns and / or at most 40 microns.

[0028] The process according to the invention can also be carried out in the following way: the building material is introduced into the radiation exposure area of ​​the energy source (such as a laser), melted and applied to the substrate. In this method (also called laser cladding in powder deposition welding mode), the powder is sprayed onto the substrate in the form of points through one or more nozzles, while the laser is aimed at the application point of the laser. The substrate is melted by the radiation energy, and the applied alloy powder melts so that the applied alloy can be combined with the molten substrate. In this way, a layer of granular material is applied to the workpiece and combined with the surface layer of the workpiece. Larger workpieces can be manufactured by sequentially "spraying" molten layers consisting of granular material.

[0029] Alternatively, the laser coating process can also be carried out in a wire cladding mode, wherein wire is used instead of powder. Accordingly, the method of the present invention also includes an embodiment using a wire made of the aluminum alloy as described above.

[0030] In order to optimize the electrical conductivity of the three-dimensional object produced by this process, the object may be subjected to a heat treatment after production, if carried out, preferably at a temperature of 400° C. to 500° C., and / or for a time of 20 to 600 minutes, more preferably 20 to 200 minutes. However, since such heat treatments tend to have an adverse effect on the mechanical properties of the three-dimensional object, such treatments are only carried out on objects where electrical conductivity needs to be optimized and mechanical properties are not very important.

[0031] The process may also include any conventional post-processing steps (ie steps after the preparation of the three-dimensional object) such as machining and / or painting and / or coating in order to adjust the final properties.

[0032] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional object prepared using a powdered aluminum alloy or a mixture of individual elements or a mixed single element powder precursor thereof, wherein the powdered aluminum alloy is a powdered aluminum alloy as defined above, and wherein the three-dimensional object comprises or consists of such an aluminum alloy. In a preferred embodiment, the specific three-dimensional object is prepared according to the above-mentioned process. Alternatively, the three-dimensional object can also be prepared by isostatic pressing, pressing and sintering or by melting and casting, although from an economic point of view, the latter is least preferred because the powder needs to be prepared first and then re-melted for casting processing. Therefore, in one embodiment, the three-dimensional object is not prepared by a melting and casting method. Whether the substance has been prepared by such a process can be assessed by the grain size in the object obtained by the process (see below).

[0033] As described above, the powder form aluminum alloy of the present invention preferably has a Ni content of 4 wt% or less and a Fe content of 2 wt% or less. Therefore, for a three-dimensional object, it is preferred that it has a Ni content of 4 wt% or less and a Fe content of 2 wt% or less.

[0034] For a three-dimensional object, it is preferred that the relative density is 95% or more, preferably 98% or more, more preferably 99% or more, and even more preferably 99.5% or more, wherein the relative density is defined as the ratio of the measured density to the theoretical density. The theoretical density is the density of the bulk material (i.e., the cast aluminum alloy). The measured density is the density of the three-dimensional object determined by the Archimedean principle according to ISO 3369:2006.

[0035] Another way to distinguish three-dimensional objects produced by additive manufacturing (particularly selective laser sintering or selective laser melting) from conventionally produced objects is the grain size resulting from only a very small area that melts when the radiation source is activated and then cools rapidly. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the three-dimensional object of the present invention has a grain size that is conventionally provided by selective laser sintering or selective laser melting. In this case, the three-dimensional object processed by the additive manufacturing process is determined by different magnifications of cross-sectional images from the etched surface, where the melt pool structure and the boundaries between the melt pools can be detected. In this case, a magnification of about 50 times or 100 times produces a closely cropped image with a level of detail from which a trained eye can easily distinguish between the cast microstructure and the microstructure obtained by additive manufacturing (particularly selective laser melting or selective laser sintering).

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the aluminum alloy forming the three-dimensional object (i.e., the test specimen prepared from the alloy according to DIN EN ISO 6892-1) has one or more of the following properties: tensile strength of 70 to 230 MPa, preferably 100 to 230 MPa; electrical conductivity of 40 to 63% IACS, preferably 45 to 63% IACS; thermal conductivity of 150 to 225 W / mK, preferably 160 to 225 W / mK, more preferably 175 to 225 W / mK; elongation at break of 3 to 25%, preferably 3 to 20%. The tensile strength is determined here according to DIN EN ISO6892-1. The electrical conductivity IACS is determined relative to the electrical conductivity of commercially available copper, for example, according to ASTM E 1004-2017. The thermal conductivity for the purposes of the present invention is determined according to DIN EN ISO 22007-2:2015-12 by a planar transient heat source (hot disk method) for measuring thermal conductivity. Particularly preferred are tensile strengths of 120 MPa or more and / or 200 MPa or less, in particular 140 MPa or more and / or 160 MPa or less. Particularly preferred electrical conductivity is 48% IACS or more and / or 61.5% IACS or less. Particularly preferred thermal conductivity is 185 W / mK or more and / or 210 W / mK or less. Particularly preferred elongation at break is 6% or more and / or 20% or less. For elongation at break, high percentages are desirable.

[0037] The corresponding three-dimensional objects have been found to contain a stable distribution of insoluble alloying elements (Ni and Fe) in a continuous network. In addition, Ni and Fe appear to have a pinning effect on grain boundaries and limit grain growth. This increases resistance to degradation of mechanical properties at high temperatures.

[0038] The above properties are particularly advantageous in components of electronic devices and electronic mobile devices. Therefore, the three-dimensional object of the present invention is preferably a component of an electronic device, in particular a component of a CPU or LED, an antenna, a waveguide or a multiplexer, or a component of an electric mobile device, such as a component of an electric motor in a car.

[0039] In another aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out the above process, wherein the apparatus comprises a radiation source, a treatment chamber having an open container with container walls, a support located in the treatment chamber (wherein the treatment chamber and the support are relatively movable in the vertical direction), a storage container and a recoating knife movable in the horizontal direction, and wherein the storage container is at least partially filled with an aluminum alloy in powder form as defined above or a powder mixture providing the alloy. With regard to the apparatus, it should be noted that the apparatus is only claimed insofar as it comprises an aluminum alloy in powder form as defined above or a powder mixture providing the alloy, so that what is actually claimed is the combination of the apparatus and the powder as a kit.

[0040] In combination with the following Figure 1 Additional features and embodiments are provided in the description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 1 The device shown is a laser sintering or laser melting device 1 for producing a three-dimensional object 2. The device 1 comprises a process chamber 3 having a chamber wall 4. A container 5 with an open top and a container wall 6 is arranged in the process chamber 3. The opening in the top of the container 5 defines a working plane 7. The part of the working plane 7 located in the opening of the container 5, which can be used to build the object 2, is called the building area 8. A support 10 is arranged in the container 5, which is movable in a vertical direction V and to which a base plate 11 is attached, which closes the container 5 towards the bottom and thus forms the bottom of the container 5. The base plate 11 can be a plate formed separately from the support 10 and fixed to the support 10, or can be formed integrally with the support 10. A building platform 12 can also be attached to the base plate 11, on which the object 2 is built. However, it is also possible to build the object 2 on the base plate 11, in which case the base plate itself serves as a building platform.

[0042] exist Figure 1 In the figure, the object 2 to be manufactured is shown in an intermediate state. It consists of a plurality of solidified layers and is surrounded by a building material 13 which remains unsolidified. The device 1 also comprises a storage container 14 for a building material 15 in powder form, which building material can be solidified by electromagnetic radiation (e.g. laser) and / or particle radiation (e.g. electron beam). The device 1 also comprises a recoating knife 16, which can be moved in a horizontal direction H for applying a layer of building material 15 in the building area 8. Optionally, a radiation heater 17 (e.g. infrared heater) for heating the applied building material 15 can be arranged in the processing chamber, but this is not necessary for processing the aluminum alloy powder of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 1 The device in the embodiment also comprises an irradiation device 20 with a laser 21, which generates a laser beam 22, which is deflected by a deflection device 23 and focused by a focusing device 24 through an inlet window 25 onto the working plane 7, which is arranged on the top side in the process chamber 3, in the chamber wall 4.

[0044] Figure 1The device in the embodiment also includes a control unit 29, by which the various components of the device 1 are controlled in a coordinated manner to implement the method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object. The control unit 29 may include a CPU, the operation of which is controlled by a computer program (software). During the operation of the device 1, the following steps are repeated: for each layer, the support 10 is lowered to a certain height, which preferably corresponds to the desired thickness of the layer of the building material 15. The recoating knife 16 moves toward the storage container 14, thereby receiving a certain amount of building material 15, which is sufficient to apply at least one layer. Then, the recoating knife 16 moves over the building area 8 and applies a thin layer of building material 15 in powder form on the base plate 11 or the building platform 12 or the previously applied layer. The layer is applied at least across the cross section of the object 2, preferably across the entire building area 8. Then, the cross section of the object 2 to be manufactured is scanned by a laser beam 22 to selectively solidify the applied layer area. These steps are repeated until the object 2 is completed. The object 2 can then be removed from the container 5.

[0045] According to the present invention, the aluminum alloy powder as described above is used as the building material 15 .

[0046] The present invention is further illustrated by the following examples, but these examples should not be construed as limiting the present invention in any way. Example

[0047] Example 1

[0048] Test specimens according to DIN EN ISO 6892-1:2020 were produced by DMLS in an EOS M290 or M280 machine using several mixtures containing 2.5% Ni and 1.0% Fe respectively or pure aluminum powder and aluminum alloy powder with the absolute compositions shown in Table 1 below. The test specimens had a thickness d0 of 5 mm at their narrowest point and a surface area S0 of approximately 19.5 mm. Appropriate DMLS processing parameters were determined by screening tests, including building sample parts with different laser output powers P, laser scanning spacing d, and laser speed v.

[0049] Table 1

[0050]

[0051] During treatment, it was observed that the sticking tendency of the alloy (on recoating blades) was greatly reduced, compared to pure aluminum grades.

[0052] The test specimens thus prepared were subjected to a tensile test according to DN EN ISO 6892-1:B10 (2020). The yield point (R p0,2 ), tensile strength (R m ), elongation at break (A) and elastic modulus (m E) are provided in the following Table 2. All measurements were performed in the horizontal direction of the construction plane of the sample.

[0053] In addition, the electrical and thermal conductivities of the samples are also provided in Table 2, which are measured according to the ASTM E 1004-2017 eddy current method and the ISO 22007-2 hot plate method, respectively.

[0054] Table 2

[0055]

[0056]

Claims

1. Aluminum alloy in powder form, containing up to 8 wt. % Ni and up to 4 wt. % Fe, characterized in that The alloy has a particle size d50 of 2 to 90 micrometers as determined by laser scattering or laser diffraction according to ISO 13320, or a powder mixture meeting the requirements for an aluminum alloy in powder form.

2. The aluminum alloy or mixture in powder form according to claim 1, comprising at most 4 wt. % Ni, preferably at least 0.1 wt. % and / or not more than 2 wt. % Ni, more preferably at least 0.8 wt. % and / or not more than 1.6 wt. % Ni.

3. The aluminum alloy or mixture in powder form according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at most 2 wt. % Fe, preferably at most 0.6 wt. % Fe, more preferably at least 0.1 wt. % and / or not more than 0.5 wt. % Fe.

4. Aluminium alloy or mixture in powder form according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the alloy further comprises up to 1 wt.% of alloying elements other than Al, Fe and Ni and inevitable impurities, preferably wherein the balance to Ni, Fe and inevitable impurities is Al.

5. The aluminum alloy or mixture in powder form according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the powder has a particle size d50 of at least 15 microns and / or at most 75 microns, preferably at least 25 microns and / or at most 50 microns, determined by laser scattering or laser diffraction according to ISO 13320.

6. A method for preparing an aluminum alloy in powder form, preferably an aluminum alloy in powder form as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a molten aluminum alloy having a composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5 is atomized in a suitable device, or is prepared by dry alloying a single metal powder or a precursor powder having two or more elements thereof.

7. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object, comprising providing a powdered aluminum alloy containing up to 8 wt.% Ni and up to 4 wt.% Fe, preferably a powdered aluminum alloy as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, or a mixture of the individual elements or a mixed powder precursor of the individual elements, and preparing the object by applying layers of the powdered aluminum alloy or the powder mixture layer by layer and selectively solidifying the powder in each layer at a position corresponding to the cross-section of the object in the layer, in particular by solidifying the powder by applying electromagnetic radiation, wherein the position of the area with interaction, in particular the area with radiation interaction with an energy beam, is scanned.

8. A three-dimensional object prepared using a powdered aluminum alloy or a mixture of individual elements or a mixed powder precursor of their elemental elements, in particular a three-dimensional object prepared according to the method of claim 6, wherein the powdered aluminum alloy is a powdered aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and wherein the three-dimensional object contains or consists of such an aluminum-nickel alloy.

9. The three-dimensional object according to claim 8, has a relative density of 95% or more, preferably 98% or more, and more preferably 99.5% or more, wherein the relative density is defined as the ratio of the measured density to the theoretical density and is determined by the Archimedean principle according to ISO 3369:2006.

10. The three-dimensional object according to claim 9, wherein the aluminum alloy forming the three-dimensional object has one or more of the following properties: tensile strength 70 to 230 MPa, electrical conductivity 40 to 63% IACS, thermal conductivity 150 to 225 W / mK, and elongation at break 3 to 25%.

11. The three-dimensional object according to any one of claims 9 or 10, which is a component of an electronic device, preferably a CPU or an LED, an antenna, a waveguide or a multiplexer, or a component of an electric mobile device.

12. An apparatus for implementing the method according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus comprises a radiation source, a treatment chamber having an open container with container walls, a support in the treatment chamber, a storage container and a recoating knife movable in the horizontal direction, wherein the treatment chamber and the support are movable relative to each other in the vertical direction, and wherein the storage container is at least partially filled with a powdered aluminum alloy according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or a powder mixture of the alloy.

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