An aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, its preparation method and application; additively manufactured aluminum alloy components and their applications.

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of welding materials technology, specifically to an aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, its preparation method and application, and additively manufactured aluminum alloy components and their applications. The invention provides an aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, comprising the following chemical composition by weight percentage: Cu 4.3~5.1%, Mn 0.62~1.05%, Mg 0.18~0.55%, Zr 0.1~0.22%, Ti 0.04~0.12%, B 0.001~0.0045%, Fe≤0.12%, Si≤0.1%, Zn≤0.2%, Cr≤0.08%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities. The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention combines low porosity, low hot cracking, uniform microstructure, wire feeding stability, forming consistency, and the comprehensive performance of deposited components, and can be used for CMT or CMT+P.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of welding materials technology, specifically to an aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, its preparation method and application, and additive manufacturing of aluminum alloy components and their applications. Background Technology

[0002] Wire arc additive manufacturing has broad application prospects in the manufacturing and repair of aluminum alloy components due to its high deposition efficiency, high material utilization, and suitability for near-net-shape forming of medium and large-sized components. In particular, cold metal transfer welding (CMT) and pulsed cold metal transfer welding (CMT+P) processes have a good foundation for application in aluminum alloy arc additive manufacturing due to their relatively low heat input, stable droplet transfer, and less spatter.

[0003] However, existing aluminum alloy arc additive manufacturing still faces the following problems: First, aluminum alloy melt is sensitive to hydrogen, and oxide films, oil stains, and moisture absorption on the welding wire surface can easily lead to porosity during additive deposition. Second, high-strength aluminum alloys have a wide solidification temperature range and significant compositional segregation, which can easily lead to the formation of coarse columnar crystals and interlayer microstructure differences during multi-layer and multi-pass deposition, accompanied by an increased tendency for hot cracking. Third, existing commercial welding wires are mostly designed for traditional welding conditions, and it is difficult to simultaneously ensure continuous wire feeding stability, interlayer formation consistency, defect control, and comprehensive mechanical properties in arc additive manufacturing scenarios. Fourth, some existing additive manufacturing welding wires rely on specific elements such as Sc, Sr, V, and Sn, or added particulate reinforcing phases, which result in high costs, difficulties in industrial scale-up, or a narrow range of compatibility with specific processes.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to develop an aluminum alloy welding wire that is suitable for CMT and CMT+P arc additive manufacturing scenarios, and can still take into account low porosity, low hot cracking, microstructure uniformity, wire feeding stability and the comprehensive performance of the deposited component without relying on Sc, Sr, V, Sn and external ceramic particle reinforcement phases. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide an aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, its preparation method and application, and additively manufactured aluminum alloy components and their applications. The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention combines low porosity, low hot cracking, uniform microstructure, wire feeding stability, forming consistency and comprehensive performance of deposited components, and can be used for cold metal transfer welding (CMT) and pulsed cold metal transfer welding (CMT+P).

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides an aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, comprising the following chemical composition by weight percentage: Cu 4.3~5.1%, Mn 0.62~1.05%, Mg 0.18~0.55%, Zr 0.1~0.22%, Ti 0.04~0.12%, B 0.001~0.0045%, Fe≤0.12%, Si≤0.1%, Zn≤0.2%, Cr≤0.08%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0007] Preferably, the aluminum alloy welding wire has a Mn / Zr mass ratio of 4 to 8.5, a Mg / Cu mass ratio of 0.04 to 0.1, and a Ti / B mass ratio of 18 to 60.

[0008] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing described in the above technical solution, characterized by comprising the following steps: The raw materials for preparing aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing are successively melted and refined under an inert atmosphere to obtain a refined melt. The refined melt is sequentially cast, homogenized, and hot extruded to obtain a wire rod. The wire blank is surface-peeled and then drawn to obtain aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing; at least one intermediate annealing is performed during the drawing process.

[0009] Preferably, the raw materials for preparing the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing include aluminum, Al-Cu master alloy, Al-Mn master alloy, Al-Zr master alloy, Al-Ti-B master alloy, and magnesium; The melting temperature is 730~780℃, and the holding time is 15~30min; The refining and degassing process is performed ≥ 2 times; the time for each refining and degassing process is 5~15 minutes.

[0010] Preferably, the casting obtained by casting includes a casting rod or a casting ingot; the diameter of the casting rod is 6~20mm; The homogenization treatment temperature is 468~498℃, and the holding time is 8~20h; The temperature of the hot extrusion is 420~460℃; The diameter of the wire blank is 8~12mm.

[0011] Preferably, the drawing is a multi-pass drawing, and the number of passes in the multi-pass drawing is 12 to 24. The intermediate annealing temperature is 300~380℃, the intermediate annealing is performed 1~2 times, and the time for each intermediate annealing is 30~90min.

[0012] The present invention also provides the application of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing described in the above technical solution or the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the preparation method described in the above technical solution in CMT or CMT+P arc additive manufacturing.

[0013] Preferably, the application includes using aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing to prepare aluminum alloy thin-walled components, reinforcing rib components, near-net-shape structural components, or repair components.

[0014] The present invention also provides an additively manufactured aluminum alloy component, which is prepared from the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing described in the above technical solution or the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the preparation method described in the above technical solution.

[0015] The present invention also provides the application of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy components described above in aerospace structural components, rail transit structural components, or welded repair components.

[0016] This invention provides an aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, comprising, by mass percentage: Cu 4.3~5.1%, Mn 0.62~1.05%, Mg 0.18~0.55%, Zr 0.1~0.22%, Ti 0.04~0.12%, B 0.001~0.0045%, Fe≤0.12%, Si≤0.1%, Zn≤0.2%, Cr≤0.08%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities. In the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention, V≤0.02%, Sn≤0.02%, Sc≤0.02%, Sr≤0.02%, and Er≤0.02%. V, Sn, Sc, Sr, and Er are not considered as actively added elements, and their content is included in unavoidable impurities. This invention also provides a method for preparing the aluminum alloy welding wire, including melting, refining and degassing, casting, homogenization treatment, hot extrusion, surface peeling, drawing, intermediate annealing, and surface cleaning. This invention also provides the application of the aluminum alloy welding wire in CMT or CMT+P arc additive manufacturing, as well as additively manufactured aluminum alloy components prepared from the welding wire and their applications.

[0017] The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention belongs to the Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Zr-Ti-B system. Based on the Al-Cu strengthening system, it achieves a balance between deposition strength potential and additive manufacturing process adaptability through the combined regulation of medium Cu, relatively high Mn, necessary Mg, and Zr-Ti-B. This invention uses Mg as the essential alloying element and enhances the strengthening potential of the deposited component through synergistic regulation with Cu, significantly different from existing low-Mg-Al-Cu welding wires. By increasing the Mn content and combining it with the combined effects of Zr, Ti, and B, this invention improves the stability of the deposited structure, inhibits the continuous growth of columnar crystals, and reduces the tendency for hot cracking. By strictly controlling impurity elements such as Fe and Si, and combining low-hydrogen control and wire surface purification treatment, this invention reduces the possibility of introducing porosity sources during arc additive manufacturing.

[0018] The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention combines wire feeding stability, forming consistency, low porosity tendency, low hot cracking tendency, and comprehensive performance of deposited components. It effectively solves the problems of existing aluminum alloy additive manufacturing welding wires during use, such as porosity sensitivity, high hot cracking tendency, obvious microstructure coarsening, poor interlayer consistency, and high overlap with existing technology routes. It has more stable wire feeding and droplet transfer behavior in CMT or CMT+P arc additive manufacturing, and the additive components have more uniform macroscopic forming, fewer internal defects, and more uniform deposited microstructure. It has good application prospects and can be used for thin-walled parts, block parts, reinforcing rib components, and repair deposits, etc., and has good engineering application value.

[0019] According to the internal defect diagram of the additive manufacturing aluminum alloy component (CMT+P process), the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by this invention can simultaneously improve strength and plasticity under the same CMT+P additive manufacturing conditions, demonstrating the synergistic effect of Cu-Mg strengthening, Mn / Zr microstructure stabilization and Ti-B grain refinement.

[0020] According to the cross-sectional microstructure diagram of the additive manufacturing aluminum alloy component (CMT+P process), the cross-sectional microstructure of the additive component prepared by the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the present invention is relatively uniform, and no obvious coarse columnar crystals are observed to continuously penetrate between layers. This indicates that Zr-Ti-B composite microalloying is beneficial to promoting heterogeneous nucleation, increasing the proportion of equiaxed crystals and inhibiting abnormal grain growth under multilayer thermal cycling. This microstructure feature helps to reduce the susceptibility to hot cracking and improve the consistency of the interlayer microstructure.

[0021] The additively manufactured aluminum alloy component prepared in Example 1 of this invention has a tensile strength of 480 MPa, a yield strength of 360 MPa, and an elongation after fracture of 8%. The additively manufactured aluminum alloy component prepared in Comparative Example 4 has a tensile strength of 410 MPa, a yield strength of 305 MPa, and an elongation after fracture of 5%. This indicates that, compared with Comparative Example 4, the tensile strength of Example 1 is increased by approximately 17.1%, the yield strength by approximately 18.0%, and the elongation after fracture by approximately 60%. This demonstrates that the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared in this invention can simultaneously improve strength and plasticity under the same CMT+P additive manufacturing conditions, reflecting the synergistic effect of Cu-Mg strengthening, Mn / Zr microstructure stabilization, and Ti-B grain refinement. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a process flow diagram of the preparation process of aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing in this invention; Figure 2 This is a process flow diagram of the additive manufacturing process for aluminum alloy components in this invention; Figure 3 The image shows an additively manufactured aluminum alloy component prepared using the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared in Example 1 as raw material. Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional microstructure diagram of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy component (CMT+P process) prepared in Example 1; Figure 5 Comparison of internal defects in additively manufactured aluminum alloy components (CMT+P process) prepared in Example 1 (left) and Comparative Example 4 (right); Figure 6 The graph shows the mechanical property test results of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy components prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Example 4. Detailed Implementation

[0023] This invention provides an aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, comprising the following chemical composition by weight percentage: Cu 4.3~5.1%, Mn 0.62~1.05%, Mg 0.18~0.55%, Zr 0.1~0.22%, Ti 0.04~0.12%, B 0.001~0.0045%, Fe≤0.12%, Si≤0.1%, Zn≤0.2%, Cr≤0.08%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0024] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes 4.3-5.1% Cu, and can also be 4.45-4.95%, specifically 4.3%, 4.35%, 4.4%, 4.45%, 4.5%, 4.55%, 4.6%, 4.65%, 4.7%, 4.72%, 4.75%, 4.8%, 4.85%, 4.9%, 4.95%, 5%, 5.05%, or 5.1%.

[0025] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes 0.62-1.05% Mn, and can also be 0.7-0.95%, specifically 0.62%, 0.65%, 0.7%, 0.74%, 0.75%, 0.8%, 0.82%, 0.85%, 0.88%, 0.9%, 0.95%, 1%, or 1.05%.

[0026] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes 0.18-0.55% Mg, and can also be 0.22-0.4%, specifically 0.18%, 0.2%, 0.22%, 0.25%, 0.28%, 0.3%, 0.32%, 0.35%, 0.36%, 0.4%, 0.45%, 0.5%, or 0.55%.

[0027] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes 0.1-0.22% Zr, and can also be 0.12-0.18%, specifically 0.1%, 0.11%, 0.12%, 0.13%, 0.14%, 0.15%, 0.16%, 0.17%, 0.18%, 0.19%, 0.2%, 0.21%, or 0.22%.

[0028] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes 0.04-0.12% Ti, and may also be 0.05-0.1%, specifically 0.04%, 0.05%, 0.06%, 0.07%, 0.08%, 0.09%, 0.1%, 0.11%, or 0.12%.

[0029] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes 0.001~0.0045% B, and can also be 0.0015~0.0035%, specifically 0.001%, 0.0015%, 0.002%, 0.0025%, 0.0028%, 0.003%, 0.0035%, 0.004% or 0.0045%.

[0030] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes Fe ≤ 0.12%, and may also be ≤ 0.1%, and may be further ≤ 0.09%, specifically 0.06%, 0.07%, 0.08%, or 0.09%.

[0031] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes Si ≤ 0.1%, and may also be ≤ 0.08%, and may be further ≤ 0.06%, specifically 0.04%, 0.05% or 0.06%.

[0032] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes Zn ≤ 0.2%, and may also be ≤ 0.1%, and may further be ≤ 0.05%, specifically 0.03%, 0.04%, or 0.05%.

[0033] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, includes Cr ≤ 0.08%, and may also be ≤ 0.05%, and may be further ≤ 0.03%, specifically 0.02% or 0.03%.

[0034] The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by weight percentage, includes the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities. Specifically, the chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by weight percentage, includes: V ≤0.02%, ≤0.1%, and further ≤0.01%; Sn ≤0.02%, ≤0.01%, and further ≤0.001%; ​​Sc ≤0.02%, ≤0.01%, and further ≤0.001%; ​​Sr ≤0.02%, ≤0.01%, and further ≤0.001%; ​​Er ≤0.02%, ≤0.01%, and further ≤0.001%. Wherein, V, Sn, Sc, Sr, and Er are not actively added elements, and their content is included in the unavoidable impurity control range.

[0035] In this invention, the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing may include the following chemical composition by mass percentage: Cu 4.45~4.95%, Mn 0.70~0.95%, Mg 0.22~0.40%, Zr 0.12~0.18%, Ti 0.05~0.10%, B 0.0015~0.0035%, Fe≤0.10%, Si≤0.08%, Zn≤0.10%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0036] In this invention, the Mn / Zr mass ratio in the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing can be 4~8.5, or 4.5~7, or even 5~6, specifically 4, 4.5, 5.2, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8 or 8.5.

[0037] In this invention, the Mg / Cu mass ratio in the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing can be 0.04~0.1, or 0.045~0.09%, or even 0.05~0.08, specifically 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09 or 0.1.

[0038] In this invention, the Ti / B mass ratio in the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing is 18~60, and can also be 20~50%, or further 25~40%, specifically 18, 20, 25, 28, 28.6, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60.

[0039] The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention does not contain V, Sn, Sc, Sr, or Er as additional added elements, and does not contain TiB2, TiC, or Al2O3 ceramic particle reinforcing phases. The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention combines low porosity, low hot cracking, uniform microstructure, wire feeding stability, consistent forming, and comprehensive performance of deposited components, and can be used for both cold metal transfer welding (CMT) and pulsed cold metal transfer welding (CMT+P).

[0040] In this invention, the diameter of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing can be 1~1.6mm, or 1.1~1.5mm, specifically 1mm, 1.1mm, 1.2mm, 1.3mm, 1.4mm, 1.5mm or 1.6mm.

[0041] The present invention also provides a method for preparing the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing described in the above technical solution, comprising the following steps: The raw materials for preparing aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing are successively melted and refined under an inert atmosphere to obtain a refined melt. The refined melt is sequentially cast, homogenized, and hot extruded to obtain a wire rod. The wire blank is surface-peeled and then drawn to obtain aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing; at least one intermediate annealing is performed during the drawing process.

[0042] Unless otherwise specified, the materials and equipment used in this invention are all commercially available products in the field.

[0043] This invention involves sequentially melting and refining the raw materials for preparing aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing under an inert atmosphere to obtain a refined melt.

[0044] In this invention, the raw materials for preparing the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing may include aluminum, Al-Cu master alloy, Al-Mn master alloy, Al-Zr master alloy, Al-Ti-B master alloy, and magnesium. In this invention, the aluminum may include industrially pure aluminum. In this invention, the chemical composition of the Al-Cu master alloy, by mass percentage, includes: Al 45-55%, which may also be 48-52%, specifically 50%; Cu 45-55%, which may also be 48-52%, specifically 50%. In this invention, the chemical composition of the Al-Mn master alloy, by mass percentage, includes: Al 85-95%, which may also be 88-92%, specifically 90%; Mn 5-15%, which may also be 8-12%, specifically 10%. In this invention, the chemical composition of the Al-Zr master alloy, by mass percentage, includes: Al 90-96%, which can also be 93-95%, specifically 95%; Zr 4-10%, which can also be 5-7%, specifically 5%. In this invention, the chemical composition of the Al-Ti-B master alloy, by mass percentage, includes: Al 93-96.5%, which can also be 94-95.5%, specifically 94%; Ti 4.5-5.5%, which can also be 4.8-5.2%, specifically 5%; B 0.8-1.2%, which can also be 0.9-1.1%, specifically 1%; the magnesium can be pure magnesium.

[0045] In this invention, the raw materials can be mixed before smelting. The mixing can include: melting aluminum and then adding Al-Cu master alloy, Al-Mn master alloy, Al-Zr master alloy, Al-Ti-B master alloy and magnesium.

[0046] In this invention, the inert atmosphere may include argon and / or helium, specifically argon.

[0047] In this invention, the melting temperature can be 730~780℃, or 740~770℃, or even 750~760℃; the melting holding time can be 15~30min, or 18~25min, or specifically 20min.

[0048] In this invention, the refining and degassing can be performed 2 to 3 times, specifically 2 times; the time for each refining and degassing can be 5 to 15 minutes, or 8 to 12 minutes, specifically 10 minutes; the temperature of the refining and degassing can be the same as the melting temperature; the refining and degassing can be carried out by bottom introduction of inert gas or by rotational degassing, and the inert gas can be helium and / or argon; the amount of inert gas introduced is based on the point at which the surface of the melt does not visibly churn; slag removal is performed between two adjacent refining and degassing processes.

[0049] After the refining and degassing are completed, the present invention may further include: subjecting the refined and degassed melt to ceramic filtration.

[0050] After obtaining the refined melt, the present invention sequentially casts, homogenizes and hot extrudes the refined melt to obtain a wire rod.

[0051] In this invention, the casting obtained by casting may include a casting rod or a casting ingot; the diameter of the casting rod may be 6~20mm, or 10~18mm, or even 12~15mm.

[0052] In this invention, the temperature of the homogenization treatment can be 468~498℃, or 470~490℃, or even 475~485℃, or specifically 480℃; the heat preservation time of the homogenization treatment can be 8~20h, or 10~18h, or even 12~15h.

[0053] After the homogenization process is completed, the present invention may further include cooling the homogenized billet, wherein the cooling may include air cooling.

[0054] In this invention, the temperature of the hot extrusion can be 420~460℃, or 425~455℃, or even 430~450℃, specifically 440℃; the extrusion ratio of the hot extrusion can be 8~40, or 10~30, or even 15~25; the speed of the hot extrusion can be 0.5~5mm / s, or 1~4mm / s, or even 1.5~3.5mm / s, specifically 2mm / s, 2.5mm / s, or 3mm / s.

[0055] In this invention, the diameter of the wire blank can be 8~12mm, or 9~10mm, or even 9.2~9.8mm, or specifically 9.5mm.

[0056] After obtaining the wire blank, the present invention performs surface peeling treatment on the wire blank and then draws it to obtain aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing; at least one intermediate annealing is performed during the drawing process.

[0057] In this invention, the drawing process can be multi-pass drawing, and the number of passes in the multi-pass drawing process can be 12 to 24, or 14 to 22, or even 16 to 20, or specifically 18. The speed of the multi-pass drawing process can be 0.1 to 2 m / s, or 0.2 to 1.5 m / s, or even 0.3 to 1 m / s, or specifically 0.5 m / s or 0.8 m / s. The deformation of a single pass drawing process can be 8 to 25%, or 10 to 20%, or even 12 to 18%, or specifically 12%, 14%, 15%, or 16%.

[0058] In this invention, the intermediate annealing temperature can be 300~380℃, or 310~370℃, or further 320~360℃, specifically 330℃, 340℃ or 350℃; the intermediate annealing can be performed 1~2 times; the time for a single intermediate annealing can be 30~90min, or 40~80min, specifically 45min, 50min, 55min, 60min, 65min, 70min or 75min; the intermediate annealing can be performed after 5~13 drawing passes (or 7~11 passes, specifically 9 passes).

[0059] After the drawing process is completed, the present invention may further include: surface cleaning of the drawn welding wire to obtain aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing. In the present invention, the surface cleaning may include sequential alkaline washing, water rinsing, ultrasonic cleaning, ethanol cleaning, and drying. In the present invention, the alkaline solution used for alkaline washing may be an aqueous solution of NaOH, and the mass concentration of the NaOH aqueous solution may be 3-10%, or even 4-6%; the temperature of the alkaline washing may be 40-60℃, or even 45-55℃, specifically 50℃; the time of the alkaline washing may be 1-5 minutes, or even 2-4 minutes, or further 2-3 minutes. In the present invention, the water rinsing may be performed using deionized water for spray rinsing or soaking rinsing, and the number of water rinsing cycles may be 2-4 times, specifically 3 times. In this invention, the ultrasonic cleaning solvent can be deionized water or ethanol; the ultrasonic cleaning frequency can be 20-60 kHz, or 30-50 kHz, specifically 40 kHz; the ultrasonic cleaning power can be 100-600 W, or 200-500 W, further 300-400 W; the extended cleaning time can be 5-20 min, or 10-15 min. In this invention, the ethanol cleaning can be performed using anhydrous ethanol or an ethanol-water solution with a volume fraction ≥95%; the ethanol cleaning time can be 2-10 min, or 5-8 min; in this invention, the drying temperature can be 80-140℃, or 90-130℃, further 100-120℃, specifically 110℃; this invention does not have a specific limitation on the drying time, drying to constant weight is sufficient.

[0060] This invention reduces porosity and thermal cracking sensitivity, and improves the internal density of additive components through two inert gas refining and degassing processes, ceramic filtration, casting, surface purification, and Zr-Ti-B composite refinement design.

[0061] Compared with Chinese patent CN120421810A, the aluminum alloy welding wire of the present invention differs in alloy system, strengthening mechanism, defect control mechanism, and industrial adaptability, and has the following advantages: This invention differs from the welding wire alloy system of CN120421810A. The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire in CN120421810A, by mass percentage, includes: Si 6.8-7.2%, Mg 0.5-0.6%, Ti 0.1-0.2%, Cu 0.05-0.09%, Mn 0.06-0.08%, Zr 0.03-0.05%, Sc 0.01-0.03%, other rare earth elements 0.03-0.05%, Cr 0.03-0.06%, B 0.005-0.01%, Sr 0.02-0.06%, RE 0.0144-0.0432%, with the balance being Al and other unavoidable impurities. CN120421810A is based on an Al-Si-Mg / ZL114A system with a Si content of 6.8-7.2%, low Cu and Mn content, and the addition of rare earth or metamorphic elements such as Sc, Sr, Ce, Nd, La, and Y. This invention, however, uses an Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Zr-Ti-B system without the addition of Sc, Sr, rare earth elements, or external ceramic particles.

[0062] This invention differs from CN120421810A in its strengthening mechanism. CN120421810A primarily relies on Mg-Si strengthening in the Al-Si-Mg system, Sr-modified eutectic Si, Sc / Zr synergistic precipitation, and rare earth purification. This invention, however, is based on Al-Cu precipitation strengthening, achieving a comprehensive balance of strength, microstructure stability, and crack resistance through Cu-Mg synergy, higher Mn content, and Zr-Ti-B composite refinement. This design is more suitable for high-strength Al-Cu CMT / CMT+P arc additive components, rather than solely for ZL114A-type cast aluminum alloy welding wires.

[0063] This invention differs from the hot crack control mechanism in CN120421810A. This invention controls the Mg / Cu mass ratio to 0.04~0.1, the Mn / Zr mass ratio to 4~8.5, and the Ti / B mass ratio to 18~60. This allows for the combined effects of Cu-Mg strengthening, Mn solid solution / dispersed phase stabilization, Zr formation of Al3Zr dispersed particles, and Ti-B heterogeneous nucleation. These factors work together to suppress the continuous epitaxial growth of columnar crystals, improve the distribution of low-melting-point phases at grain boundaries, and reduce the tendency for hot cracking. CN120421810A primarily addresses eutectic Si modification and rare earth purification in Al-Si-Mg alloys, and is not a solution specifically addressing the wide solidification range and hot crack sensitivity of Al-Cu systems.

[0064] This invention differs from CN120421810A in its porosity source control approach. CN120421810A reduces porosity through methods such as Sc, Sr, RE, and dynamic compensation degassing. This invention, however, employs low-Fe, low-Si, inert gas refining and degassing, ceramic filtration, surface peeling, and surface purification to reduce the porosity source in the CMT / CMT+P additive manufacturing process from two levels: the metallurgical purity of the welding wire and the surface hydrogen source.

[0065] This invention differs from CN120421810A in its industrialization advantages. CN120421810A requires multiple expensive or easily burnable elements such as Sc, Sr, La, Ce, Y, and Nd, and involves steps such as Al-Sr modifier, Al-Sr-RE composite powder, high-speed vortex stirring injection, dynamic compensation degassing, and gradient casting. In contrast, this invention does not rely on Sc, Sr, or rare earth elements. Its process flow is smelting-refining degassing-casting-homogenization-hot extrusion-drawing-surface cleaning, resulting in a shorter process chain, lower cost and process fluctuations, and easier large-scale preparation of CMT / CMT+P dedicated welding wire.

[0066] This invention also provides the application of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing described in the above-described technical solutions, or the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the above-described technical solutions, in CMT or CMT+P arc additive manufacturing. In this invention, the application includes the use of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing to prepare thin-walled components, reinforcing rib components, near-net-shape structural components, or repair components.

[0067] The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing provided by this invention belongs to the Al-Cu-Mn-Mg-Zr-Ti-B series aluminum alloy welding wire. It takes into account the stability of wire feeding, the consistency of forming, the low porosity tendency, the low hot cracking tendency, and the comprehensive performance of the deposited components. It effectively solves the problems of existing aluminum alloy additive manufacturing welding wires in use, such as porosity sensitivity, high hot cracking tendency, obvious microstructure coarsening, poor interlayer consistency, and high overlap with existing technology routes. It has a good application prospect in CMT or CMT+P arc additive manufacturing.

[0068] This invention also provides an additively manufactured aluminum alloy component, prepared from the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing described in the above-described technical solution or the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the preparation method described in the above-described technical solution. In this invention, the additively manufactured aluminum alloy component may include a thin-walled component, a reinforcing rib component, a near-net-shape structural component, or a repair component.

[0069] The present invention also provides the application of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy components described above in aerospace structural components, rail transit structural components, or welded repair components.

[0070] To further illustrate the present invention, the technical solutions provided by the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0071] Example 1 The chemical composition of aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, is as follows: Cu 4.60%, Mn 0.82%, Mg 0.28%, Zr 0.15%, Ti 0.07%, B 0.0025%, Fe 0.08%, Si 0.05%, Zn 0.04%, Cr 0.03%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0072] according to Figure 1 The process flow diagram shown illustrates the preparation of aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing. The specific steps are as follows: S1. According to the target chemical composition of aluminum alloy welding wire, industrial pure aluminum is added to a melting furnace and melted at 750℃. 50wt%Al-50wt%Cu master alloy, 90wt%Al-10wt%Mn master alloy, 95wt%Al-5wt%Zr master alloy, 94wt%Al-5wt%Ti-1wt%B master alloy, and pure Mg are added. After stirring evenly, the mixture is kept at this temperature for 20 minutes. The resulting melt is then subjected to two argon refining and degassing processes at 750℃, each lasting 10 minutes. Argon gas is introduced from the bottom of the melt using a ceramic tube or graphite rotor. During the gas introduction process, the melt is kept slightly agitated without significant turbulence. Slag removal is performed between the two degassing processes. After refining, the melt is filtered through a ceramic filter to obtain a refined melt.

[0073] S2. The refined melt is cast into a rod with a diameter of 12 mm; the rod is homogenized at 480℃ for 12 hours and then air-cooled; then it is hot-extruded at 440℃ into a wire rod with a diameter of 9.5 mm. The hot extrusion ratio is 25 and the extrusion speed is 3 mm / s.

[0074] S3. Surface peeling of the wire blank is performed, followed by 18 drawing passes at a speed of 0.5 m / s, with a deformation of 12% per pass. After the 9th drawing pass, intermediate annealing is carried out at 340℃ for 1 hour, followed by continued drawing until a welding wire with a diameter of 1.2 mm is obtained. The welding wire is then surface-cleaned, wound, and packaged to obtain aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing. The surface cleaning process specifically involves: alkaline washing with 5wt% NaOH aqueous solution at 50℃ for 2 minutes, followed by rinsing with deionized water spray three times; ultrasonic cleaning with deionized water at 40 kHz and 300 W for 10 minutes; cleaning with anhydrous ethanol for 5 minutes; and drying at 110℃ to constant weight.

[0075] according to Figure 2The process flow diagram shown illustrates the preparation of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components. The specific steps are as follows: The surface of the 2219 aluminum alloy substrate is ground to remove the oxide film, and then cleaned and dried with acetone. The aluminum alloy welding wire prepared in the example is installed in a CMT or CMT+P arc additive manufacturing equipment, using argon gas with a purity ≥99.999% as the protective gas at a flow rate of 20 L / min. Reciprocating linear deposition is performed using the CMT+P process, with a wire feed speed of 7.0 m / min, a welding travel speed of 10 mm / s, a layer height of 2.0 mm, and the interlayer temperature controlled below 60°C. Thin-walled samples, bulk samples, or reinforcing rib samples are prepared layer by layer. After deposition, the sample is air-cooled to room temperature to obtain the additively manufactured aluminum alloy component.

[0076] Example 2 The chemical composition of aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, is as follows: Cu 4.85%, Mn 0.90%, Mg 0.22%, Zr 0.16%, Ti 0.09%, B 0.0030%, Fe 0.07%, Si 0.04%, Zn 0.03%, Cr 0.02%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0077] The preparation method of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing differs from that in Example 1 only in that: the melting temperature in step S1 is 760℃, the homogenization treatment temperature in step S2 is 485℃, and the holding time is 10h; the diameter of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing in step S3 is 1.0mm. The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared in this example can be used in arc additive manufacturing under conditions of high deposition efficiency.

[0078] The preparation method of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components is the same as in Example 1.

[0079] Example 3 The chemical composition of aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, is as follows: Cu 4.45%, Mn 0.74%, Mg 0.36%, Zr 0.13%, Ti 0.06%, B 0.0020%, Fe 0.09%, Si 0.06%, Zn 0.05%, Cr 0.03%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0080] The only difference between the preparation method and Example 1 is that the diameter of the aluminum alloy welding wire used in arc additive manufacturing in step S3 is 1.6 mm.

[0081] The preparation method of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components is the same as in Example 1.

[0082] Example 4 The chemical composition of aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, is as follows: Cu 4.72%, Mn 0.88%, Mg 0.32%, Zr 0.17%, Ti 0.08%, B 0.0028%, Fe 0.06%, Si 0.05%, Zn 0.04%, Cr 0.02%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

[0083] The preparation method of aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing differs from that in Example 1 only in the following aspects: in step S1, the melting temperature is 745℃; in step S2, the diameter of the casting rod is 10mm, the homogenization treatment temperature is 475℃, and the holding time is 14h; in step S3, the intermediate annealing temperature is 330℃; and the diameter of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing is 1.2mm.

[0084] The preparation method of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components is the same as in Example 1.

[0085] Comparative Example 1 The chemical composition of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, by mass percentage, is as follows: Cu 5.60%, Mn 0.40%, Mg 0.03%, Zr 0.12%, Ti 0.25%, B 0.0030%, V 0.015%, Sn 0.015%, Fe 0.10%, Si 0.08%, Zn 0.05%, Cr 0.03%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities. The preparation method of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing is the same as in Example 1.

[0086] The preparation method of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components is the same as in Example 1.

[0087] Comparative Example 2 The only difference from Example 1 is the removal of Zr.

[0088] The preparation method of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components is the same as in Example 1.

[0089] Comparative Example 3 The only difference from Example 1 is the removal of Ti and B.

[0090] The preparation method of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components is the same as in Example 1.

[0091] Comparative Example 4 The aluminum alloy welding wire used in arc additive manufacturing is the commercially available ER2319 aluminum alloy welding wire.

[0092] The preparation method of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components is the same as in Example 1.

[0093] Test Example 1 Chemical composition analysis, surface condition observation, and diameter consistency measurement were performed on the welding wires of the examples and comparative examples. Deposition tests were conducted under the same additive manufacturing equipment and process conditions, and wire feeding stability, arc ignition stability, spatter, and macroscopic forming were recorded. Cross-sectional samples were taken from the deposited samples to observe porosity, cracks, and interlayer fusion. Tensile strength, yield strength, elongation after fracture, and microhardness were tested. The test methods for tensile strength and yield strength were GB / T 228.1-2021.

[0094] Figure 3 The images show actual photos of additively manufactured aluminum alloy components made using the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared in Example 1. The left, middle, and right sides represent a thin-walled component, a reinforcing rib component, and a near-net-shape structural component, respectively. It can be seen that the welding wire of the present invention can be used to prepare additive components with different morphologies. The surface of the component is continuously formed and the interlayer stacking is relatively uniform, indicating that the welding wire has good wire feeding stability and adaptability to CMT / CMT+P additive manufacturing processes.

[0095] Figure 4 The image shows the cross-sectional microstructure of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy component (CMT+P process) prepared in Example 1. It can be seen that the cross-sectional microstructure of the additive component prepared by the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared in this invention is relatively uniform, and no obvious coarse columnar crystals are observed to continuously penetrate between layers. This indicates that Zr-Ti-B composite microalloying is beneficial to promoting heterogeneous nucleation, increasing the proportion of equiaxed crystals, and inhibiting abnormal grain growth under multilayer thermal cycling. This microstructure feature helps to reduce hot crack sensitivity and improve the consistency of interlayer microstructure.

[0096] Figure 5 The images show a comparison of internal defects in additively manufactured aluminum alloy components (CMT+P process) prepared in Example 1 (left) and Comparative Example 4 (right). It can be seen that under the same CMT+P process conditions, the component in Example 1 has fewer internal defects and a more dispersed defect distribution, with no obvious continuous cracks or severe interlayer defects. The component in Comparative Example 4 shows more pores / dark spots. This demonstrates that the present invention, through two inert gas degassing processes, filtered casting, welding wire surface cleaning, and Zr-Ti-B composite refinement design, can reduce porosity sources and hot crack sensitivity, thereby improving the internal density of the additively manufactured component.

[0097] Figure 6The graph shows a comparison of the mechanical properties of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy components (CMT+P process) prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Example 4. It can be seen that the tensile strength of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy component in Example 1 is 480 MPa, the yield strength is 360 MPa, and the elongation after fracture is 8%; while the tensile strength of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy component in Comparative Example 4 is 410 MPa, the yield strength is 305 MPa, and the elongation after fracture is 5%. This indicates that compared with Comparative Example 4, the tensile strength of Example 1 is increased by approximately 17.1%, the yield strength by approximately 18.0%, and the elongation after fracture by approximately 60%. This demonstrates that the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared in this invention can simultaneously improve strength and plasticity under the same CMT+P additive manufacturing conditions, reflecting the synergistic effect of Cu-Mg strengthening, Mn / Zr microstructure stabilization, and Ti-B grain refinement.

[0098] The above test results show that the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the present invention has continuous wire feeding, stable arc ignition, and less spatter in the CMT+P additive manufacturing process. The additive components have continuous macroscopic forming, relatively uniform cross-sectional structure, and no obvious continuous cracks were observed.

[0099] Examples 2 and 3 correspond to aluminum alloy welding wires for arc additive manufacturing with diameters of 1.0 mm and 1.6 mm, respectively, and can be used for CMT / CMT+P additive manufacturing processes with welding wires of different diameters. Example 4 shows that a 1.2 mm welding wire can still be produced under lower melting temperatures, smaller casting rod diameters, and different surface cleansing paths, demonstrating the adaptability of the process window. Comparative Example 1 has a low Mg content and a high Ti content, and introduces V and Sn. The microstructure stabilization effect is weakened after Zr removal in Comparative Example 2. The heterogeneous nucleation and grain refinement effect is weakened after Ti and B removal in Comparative Example 3. Comparative Example 4 uses commercially available ER2319 welding wire, and no synergistic optimization of alloy composition and surface condition was performed for CMT / CMT+P additive deposition.

[0100] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing, characterized in that, The chemical composition, by mass percentage, includes the following: Cu 4.3~5.1%, Mn 0.62~1.05%, Mg 0.18~0.55%, Zr 0.1~0.22%, Ti 0.04~0.12%, B 0.001~0.0045%, Fe≤0.12%, Si≤0.1%, Zn≤0.2%, Cr≤0.08%, with the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities.

2. The aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aluminum alloy welding wire has a Mn / Zr mass ratio of 4~8.5, a Mg / Cu mass ratio of 0.04~0.1, and a Ti / B mass ratio of 18~60.

3. The method for preparing the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The raw materials for preparing aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing are successively melted and refined under an inert atmosphere to obtain a refined melt. The refined melt is sequentially cast, homogenized, and hot extruded to obtain a wire rod. The wire blank is surface-peeled and then drawn to obtain aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing; at least one intermediate annealing is performed during the drawing process.

4. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The raw materials for preparing the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing include aluminum, Al-Cu master alloy, Al-Mn master alloy, Al-Zr master alloy, Al-Ti-B master alloy and magnesium; The melting temperature is 730~780℃, and the holding time is 15~30min; The refining and degassing process is performed ≥ 2 times; the time for each refining and degassing process is 5~15 minutes.

5. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The casting obtained by casting includes a casting rod or a casting ingot; the diameter of the casting rod is 6~20mm; The homogenization treatment temperature is 468~498℃, and the holding time is 8~20h; The temperature of the hot extrusion is 420~460℃; The diameter of the wire blank is 8~12mm.

6. The preparation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drawing process is a multi-pass drawing process, and the number of passes in the multi-pass drawing process is 12 to 24. The intermediate annealing temperature is 300~380℃, the intermediate annealing is performed 1~2 times, and the time for each intermediate annealing is 30~90min.

7. The application of the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing according to any one of claims 1 to 2 or the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 3 to 6 in CMT or CMT+P arc additive manufacturing.

8. The application according to claim 7, characterized in that, The applications include using aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing to prepare aluminum alloy thin-walled components, stiffening components, near-net-shape structural components, or repair components.

9. An additively manufactured aluminum alloy component, characterized in that, It is prepared from the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing as described in any one of claims 1 to 2 or the aluminum alloy welding wire for arc additive manufacturing prepared by the preparation method described in any one of claims 3 to 6.

10. The application of the additively manufactured aluminum alloy component of claim 9 in aerospace structural components, rail transit structural components, or welded repair components.

Images