Powder metal material for additive manufacturing made of aluminum alloy, and additive manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a powder metallic material for additive manufacturing made of an aluminum alloy that can obtain a molding with excellent rigidity and ductility and an additive manufacturing method using the above powder metallic material.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a powder metallic material for additive manufacturing composed of an aluminum alloy containing at least one type of metal atom with a smaller atomic radius and a higher electron density than those of aluminum and a method for additive manufacturing using the above powder metallic material.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder metal material for laminated molding made of an aluminum alloy and a laminated molding method.

Background Art

[0005] The powder metal material of the present invention is a powder metal material for additive manufacturing, comprising an aluminum alloy containing at least one metal atom having a smaller atomic radius and higher electron density than aluminum. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a powder metal material for additive manufacturing made of an aluminum alloy that can produce molded products with excellent rigidity and ductility, and an additive manufacturing method using the above powder metal material. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0008] [Powder metal materials] The powder metal material of the present invention is a powder metal material for additive manufacturing, comprising an aluminum alloy containing at least one metal atom having a smaller atomic radius and higher electron density than aluminum. The powder metal material of the present invention makes it possible to obtain molded objects with excellent rigidity and ductility.

[0009] The reason why the aluminum alloy powder metal material of the present invention can produce molded objects with excellent rigidity and ductility is not yet fully understood, but it is thought that it contains at least one metal atom with a smaller atomic radius and higher electron density than aluminum, and that by forming it by additive manufacturing (preferably additive manufacturing using a 3D printer), intermetallic compounds of different types and shapes than those formed by casting are generated, resulting in excellent ductility in addition to rigidity.

[0010] Examples of metal atoms with a smaller atomic radius and higher electron density than aluminum include Fe, Co, Mo, and Ni. In the present invention, it is preferable that the metal atom having a smaller atomic radius and a higher electron density than aluminum is at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Mo, and Ni. By including at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Mo, and Ni in the aluminum alloy, the rigidity can be further improved.

[0011] The aluminum alloy of the powder metal material of the present invention preferably further contains at least one of Ti and Zr, and more preferably contains Ti. Also, the aluminum alloy of the powder metal material of the present invention preferably contains Ti and Zr. By containing at least one of Ti and Zr in the aluminum alloy, the rigidity and ductility can be further improved. In particular, by containing Zr, the ductility can be further improved.

[0012] The aluminum alloy of the powder metal material of the present invention is, by mass%, Ti: 0.1 to 3.0%, Zr: 3.0% or less, Co: 3.0% or less, Si: 3.0 to 20.0%, Cu: 0.1 to 10.0%, Mn: 3.0% or less, Mg: 0.1 to 3.0%, Ni: 5.0% or less, Cr: 1.0% or less, Zn: 3.0% or less, Fe: 0.05 to 5.0%, Mo: 3.0% or less, Y: 3.0% or less is preferably contained. Note that the content of each alloy element is a value based on mass with the entire aluminum alloy being 100% unless otherwise specified.

[0013] The powder metal material of the present invention can improve rigidity and ductility by actively containing the above-mentioned impurity elements with respect to Al, which is the main constituent element of the aluminum alloy. Since the powder metal material of the present invention may actively contain impurity elements, for example, it can also be manufactured using secondary ingots containing a large amount of impurities such as Fe and Zn, or recycled materials containing a large amount of impurities as raw materials, which is also preferable from the viewpoints of reducing carbon dioxide emissions during manufacturing, resource conservation, and reducing environmental load.

[0014] The aluminum alloy of the powder metal material of the present invention preferably has the above chemical composition, and the balance consists of Al and inevitable impurities. The content of Al in the aluminum alloy of the powder metal material of the present invention is preferably 55% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, still more preferably 70% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 75% by mass or more.

[0015] Inevitable impurities are components that can inevitably be mixed in from raw materials and the environment when manufacturing the aluminum alloy in the present invention. The content of inevitable impurities is usually 2% by mass or less.

[0016] The content of Ti in the aluminum alloy is preferably 0.1 to 3.0%, more preferably 0.15 to 2.5%, still more preferably 0.5 to 2.3%, and particularly preferably 1.0 to 2.0%.

[0017] The content of Zr in the aluminum alloy is preferably 3.0% or less, more preferably 2.5% or less, and still more preferably 2.0% or less. The lower limit of the content of Zr in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy may not contain Zr. Also, when the aluminum alloy contains Zr, the content of Zr may be 0.5 to 2.5% or 1.0 to 2.0%.

[0018] The Co content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 3.0% or less, more preferably 2.5% or less, and even more preferably 2.0% or less. The lower limit of the Co content in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy does not need to contain Co. If the aluminum alloy contains Co, the Co content may be 0.1 to 2.5% or 0.5 to 2.0%.

[0019] The Si content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 3.0 to 20.0%, more preferably 5.0 to 17.0%, even more preferably 7.0 to 16.0%, and particularly preferably 8.0 to 15.0%.

[0020] The Cu content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 0.1 to 10.0%, more preferably 0.3 to 8.0%, even more preferably 1.0 to 7.0%, and particularly preferably 3.0 to 5.0%.

[0021] The Mn content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 3.0% or less, more preferably 2.5% or less, and even more preferably 2.0% or less. The lower limit of the Mn content in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy does not need to contain Mn. If the aluminum alloy contains Mn, the Mn content may be 0.03 to 1.5% or 0.1 to 1.0%.

[0022] The Mg content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 0.1 to 3.0%, more preferably 0.2 to 2.0%, and even more preferably 0.3 to 1.0%.

[0023] The nickel content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 5.0% or less, more preferably 3.0% or less, and even more preferably 2.0% or less. The lower limit of the nickel content in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy does not need to contain nickel. If the aluminum alloy contains nickel, the nickel content may be 0.1 to 1.5% or 0.5 to 1.0%.

[0024] The Cr content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 1.0% or less, more preferably 0.5% or less, and even more preferably 0.3% or less. The lower limit of the Cr content in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy does not need to contain Cr. If the aluminum alloy contains Cr, the Cr content may be 0.01-0.2% or 0.03-0.1%.

[0025] The Zn content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 3.0% or less, more preferably 2.5% or less, and even more preferably 2.0% or less. The lower limit of the Zn content in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy does not need to contain Zn. If the aluminum alloy contains Zn, the Zn content may be 0.1 to 1.5% or 0.2 to 1.0%.

[0026] The Fe content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 0.05 to 5.0%, more preferably 0.15 to 4.0%, even more preferably 0.5 to 3.5%, and particularly preferably 1.0 to 3.0%.

[0027] The Mo content in the aluminum alloy is preferably 3.0% or less, more preferably 2.0% or less, and even more preferably 1.0% or less. The lower limit of the Mo content in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy does not need to contain Mo. If the aluminum alloy contains Mo, the Mo content may be 0.01 to 0.5% or 0.05 to 0.3%.

[0028] The content of Y in the aluminum alloy is preferably 3.0% or less, more preferably 2.0% or less, and even more preferably 1.0% or less. The lower limit of the content of Y in the aluminum alloy is not particularly limited and can be 0% by mass or more. The aluminum alloy does not need to contain Y. If the aluminum alloy contains Y, the content of Y may be 0.01 to 0.5%, or 0.05 to 0.3%.

[0029] The particle size of the powder metal material of the present invention is not particularly limited, and is a known particle size suitable for additive manufacturing (preferably for manufacturing by a 3D printer) (for example, the volume average particle diameter (D) measured by a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer). 50 The thickness can be set to 10-200 μm, for example.

[0030] The method for producing the powder metal material of the present invention is not particularly limited, and known methods (for example, gas atomization, plasma atomization, centrifugal atomization, etc.) can be employed.

[0031] [Additive Manufacturing Method] The additive manufacturing method of the present invention preferably uses the above-mentioned powder metal material, and it is particularly preferable to use the above-mentioned powder metal material to manufacture the object with a 3D printer. The additive manufacturing method of the present invention makes it possible to obtain manufactured objects with excellent rigidity and ductility. The additive manufacturing method of the present invention is a 3D printing method in which the cooling rate after the powder metal material has melted by irradiation with a laser or electron beam is greater than that of the casting method. Because of this greater cooling rate, it is believed that the ductility of the manufactured object can be improved. The additive manufacturing method of the present invention has a cooling rate of 10 after the powder metal material has melted. 3 Preferably, it is ℃ / sec or higher, 10 4 A temperature of °C / sec or higher is more preferable. Publicly available 3D printers can be used. The additive manufacturing method is not particularly limited, but for example, powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition are preferred.

[0032] The products manufactured by the additive manufacturing method of the present invention have excellent rigidity and ductility, and can therefore be used in a variety of applications, such as automotive parts. [Examples]

[0033] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0034] Aluminum alloy powders (average particle size 40 μm) with the compositions shown in Tables 1 and 2 below were prepared. In Tables 1 and 2, "Bal" indicates the "remainder".

[0035] The aluminum alloy powders in Examples 1-5 were prepared by gas atomization. For Comparative Example 1, a commercially available aluminum alloy powder was used. The aluminum alloy powder in Comparative Example 2 was prepared using commercially available aluminum alloys as general materials.

[0036] The aluminum alloy powders of the examples and comparative examples in Tables 1 and 2 were used to create 3D printed objects by additive manufacturing. The 3D printer used had a cooling rate of 10 after the aluminum alloy powder melted. 5 The temperature was °C / sec.

[0037] <Measurement of Young's modulus> Using the aluminum alloy powders of the examples and comparative examples in Tables 1 and 2, rectangular samples with a width of 10 mm, a length of 60 mm, and a thickness of 1.5 mm were fabricated using a 3D printer. The Young's modulus of the fabricated samples was measured by the resonance method. The Young's modulus was measured using a measuring device (JE-RT manufactured by Nippon Techno Plus). Specifically, the Young's modulus was measured in accordance with JIS Z 2280 using the method described in section

[0026] of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-131646.

[0038] <Measurement of elongation> Using the aluminum alloy powders from the examples and comparative examples in Tables 1 and 2, JIS No. 4 test specimens were fabricated using a 3D printer. Tensile tests were performed on the fabricated specimens at room temperature using a universal testing machine (Shimadzu Autograph). The crosshead speed was set to 0.5 mm / min. The elongation (butt elongation) (%) at the time of fracture of the specimen was determined.

[0039] <Intensity Measurement> Using the aluminum alloy powders from the examples and comparative examples in Table 2, JIS No. 4 test specimens were fabricated using a 3D printer. Tensile tests were performed on the fabricated specimens at room temperature using a universal testing machine (Shimadzu Autograph). The crosshead speed was set to 0.5 mm / min. The stress at which the specimen fractured was defined as the tensile strength (MPa). The results are shown in the "Strength (MPa)" column of Table 2.

[0040] [Table 1]

[0041] [Table 2]

[0042] Tables 1 and 2 show that the aluminum alloy powders of Examples 1 to 5 can be used to manufacture molded objects with a Young's modulus of 80 GPa or higher, excellent rigidity, and an elongation of 3% or higher, excellent ductility. Furthermore, Table 2 shows that the aluminum alloy powder of Example 5 can be used to manufacture molded objects with excellent strength.

[0043] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc., can be made as appropriate.

[0044] Furthermore, this specification contains at least the following information:

[0045] (1) A powder metal material for additive manufacturing, comprising an aluminum alloy containing at least one metal atom having a smaller atomic radius than aluminum and a higher electron density.

[0046] According to (1), it is possible to obtain a molded object with excellent rigidity and ductility.

[0047] (2) The powder metal material according to (1), wherein the metal atom having a smaller atomic radius and higher electron density than aluminum is at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Mo, and Ni.

[0048] According to (2), the rigidity can be further improved.

[0049] (3) The powder metal material according to (1) or (2), further comprising at least one of Ti and Zr.

[0050] According to (3), the rigidity and ductility can be further improved. (4) The aluminum alloy is In mass percent, Ti: 0.1~3.0%, Zr: 3.0% or less, Co:3.0% or less, Si: 3.0~20.0%, Cu: 0.1~10.0%, Mn: 3.0% or less, Mg: 0.1~3.0%, Ni: 5.0% or less, Cr: 1.0% or less, Zn: 3.0% or less, Fe: 0.05~5.0%, Mo: 3.0% or less, Y: 3.0% or less A powder metal material containing any one of (1) to (3) described above.

[0051] According to (4), since it is also possible to actively include elements that constitute impurities, for example, secondary metals containing many impurities such as Fe and Zn, or recycled materials containing many impurities can be used as raw materials, which is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing carbon dioxide emissions during manufacturing, conserving resources, and reducing environmental impact.

[0052] (5) A method of additive manufacturing in which a 3D printer is used to create an object using a powder metal material described in any one of (1) to (4).

[0053] According to (5), it is possible to obtain a molded object with excellent rigidity and ductility.

Claims

1. A powder metal material for additive manufacturing made of an aluminum alloy, The aforementioned aluminum alloy, In mass percent, Ti: 0.1 to 3.0%, Zr: 3.0% or less, Si: 3.0-20.0%, Cu: 0.1-10.0%, Mn: 3.0% or less, Mg: 0.1-3.0%, Ni: 5.0% or less, Cr: 1.0% or less, Zn: 3.0% or less, Fe: 0.05-5.0%, A powder metal material containing [a certain substance], with the remainder consisting of Al and unavoidable impurities.

2. A method of additive manufacturing using a 3D printer to create an object using the powder metal material described in claim 1.

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