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Thermal expansion behavior of Al–xSi alloys fabricated using selective laser melting

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Abstract

Al–Si alloys are lightweight materials and show excellent mechanical and physical properties, making them appealing for automotive and aerospace industries applications. In this study, Al–(12–50 wt.%)Si alloys (nearly eutectic to hyper-eutectic compositions) were fabricated using a laser-based powder bed fusion process (LPBF) or selective laser melting technique (SLM). The microstructural evolution of the SLM Al–Si alloys as a function of increasing Si contents is investigated in detail. Refined Al and Si phases are observed and the mechanism of the refinement is discussed. In addition, the mechanical properties of the Al–Si alloy processed by casting and SLM were compared. Moreover, the influence of Si content and heating time on the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the alloys are investigated in detail, and their relationship between theoretical models and the experimental CTE values for the Al–Si alloys will be discussed and compared.

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Funding

This project is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFB0700203), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51971123), the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (17ZR1440800). European Regional Development Fund through MOBERC15 is acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

    Y. D. Jia, L. B. Zhang, G. Wang & J. Yi

  2. School of Materials Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, 201620, China

    P. Ma

  3. Solidification Processes and Complex Structures, Institute for Complex Materials, IFW Dresden, Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069, Dresden, Germany

    S. Scudino

  4. Erich Schmid Institute of Materials Science, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Jahnstraße 12, 8700, Leoben, Austria

    J. Eckert & K. G. Prashanth

  5. Department Materials Physics, Montanuniversität Leoben, Jahnstraße 12, Jahnstraße 12, 8700, Leoben, Austria

    J. Eckert

  6. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate Tee 5, 19086, Tallinn, Estonia

    K. G. Prashanth

  7. CBCMT, School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, India

    K. G. Prashanth

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  1. Y. D. Jia
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  2. L. B. Zhang
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  3. P. Ma
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  5. G. Wang
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Correspondence to P. Ma or K. G. Prashanth.

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Jia, Y.D., Zhang, L.B., Ma, P. et al. Thermal expansion behavior of Al–xSi alloys fabricated using selective laser melting. Prog Addit Manuf 5, 247–257 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-020-00130-w

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