Aluminium Alloy Composition for Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aluminium-based alloys used in additive technologies, such as selective laser melting, face challenges in achieving high strength, ductility, and thermal stability while maintaining low defect rates, particularly due to issues with evaporation of certain elements and impaired weldability.
Innovation Solution
An aluminium alloy composition with 4.5-6.5% magnesium, 0.35-0.80% chromium, 0.40-1.0% zirconium, 0.002-0.15% boron, and additional elements like iron, nickel, or manganese, refined through gas atomization and classification, to enhance solid-solution hardening and intermetallic phase formation, reducing hot cracking and improving castability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high chromium content (1-7% wt) is added to increase strength and thermal stability, then strength and thermal stability are improved, but ductility decreases and impact strength becomes low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the chromium content parameter to a specific range (0.35-0.80% wt) rather than using high concentrations (1-7% wt), and combines it with zirconium (0.40-1.0% wt) to achieve the desired balance between strength and ductility through controlled parameter selection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite alloy system combining chromium with zirconium and other elements (magnesium, boron, manganese, nickel, iron) to achieve synergistic effects that improve both strength and ductility, avoiding the limitations of single-element addition
2Strength
If zinc and bismuth are added to improve mechanical properties, then mechanical properties are enhanced, but elements evaporate during selective laser melting changing chemical composition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes problematic elements (zinc and bismuth) from the alloy composition that cause evaporation during selective laser melting, replacing their functional roles with alternative elements (chromium, zirconium, boron) that provide similar mechanical property enhancements without the evaporation issue
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses boron (0.002-0.15% wt) as a small but effective additive that provides significant improvement in hot cracking resistance and mechanical properties without the stability issues of zinc and bismuth, acting as a highly efficient but low-concentration solution
3Strength
If copper is added to improve mechanical properties, then mechanical properties are enhanced, but weldability is impaired affecting part quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes copper from the alloy composition to eliminate its harmful effect on weldability, while achieving comparable or superior mechanical properties through the combination of chromium, zirconium, magnesium, and boron that do not impair welding quality
4Strength
If magnesium content is increased to achieve solid-solution hardening, then strength is improved, but hot cracking tendency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces boron as an intermediary element that modifies the behavior of magnesium in the alloy, enabling magnesium to provide solid-solution hardening and strength improvement while boron simultaneously reduces hot cracking tendency by forming stable compounds and modifying microstructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes magnesium content to a specific range (4.5-6.5% wt) and combines it with controlled amounts of boron (0.002-0.15% wt) and other elements to achieve the optimal balance between strength and hot cracking resistance through precise parameter control
5Device complexity
If chromium content is insufficient (0.12-0.25% wt), then alloy composition is simple, but hardening effect from chromium is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent increases chromium content to an optimized range (0.35-0.80% wt) that provides sufficient hardening effect, and combines it with zirconium and boron to enhance the overall strengthening mechanism while maintaining controlled alloy complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The alloy exhibits a 25% increase in tensile strength and 70% improvement in elongation, maintaining high thermal stability and defect-free structures, even after prolonged annealing, with optimized chromium and zirconium ratios ensuring strong hardening effects.
Implementation Method 1
Magnesium additive provides both solid-solution hardening and the formation of the required solidification range for the formation of a dense structure when exposed to a laser beam radiation
Implementation Method 2
Zirconium is introduced to form the dispersed precipitates of Al 3 Zr during the supersaturated solid solution decomposition
Implementation Method 3
Zirconium is introduced to form the dispersed precipitates of Al 3 Zr during the supersaturated solid solution decomposition
Implementation Method 4
The addition of boron to the alloy provides a modification effect in the manufacture of parts due to the formation of nanoscale boride particles
Implementation Method 5
selective laser melting SLM technologies
Implementation Method 6
A rapidly solidified aluminium powder alloy containing an increased chromium content is known
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The invention relates to the field of metallurgy, and specifically to aluminum-based alloys used to produce powders used to manufacture parts using additive technologies including selective laser synthesis. A powdered aluminum material containing magnesium, chromium and zirconium is proposed that additionally contains boron and at least one element from the group of manganese, iron and nickel, in a specified ratio of components. The technical result is to increase the strength properties of the aluminum alloy for the manufacture of parts using powder and additive technologies while maintaining high elongation, high heat stability and the absence of hot crack-type defects.