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Microstructural characterization and tensile behavior of reaction synthesis aluminum 6061 metal matrix composites produced via laser beam powder bed fusion and electron beam freeform fabrication

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Abstract

In this work, aluminum 6061-based powder blend feedstocks with reactive Ti-B/C additions were employed in two different additive manufacturing processes, laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3), to create micro- and nanoscale ceramic and intermetallic inoculants in situ and to examine the effect of feedstock inoculant content on microstructure and mechanical properties. Products of the reaction synthesis process were identified with X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy to include Al3Ti, TiC, and TiB2. Electron back-scatter diffraction revealed significant grain refinement up to 74\(\times\), mitigation of solidification cracking, and formation of an equiaxed grain structure with the addition of just 2 vol.% inoculant. Inoculants formed in situ were seen to induce approximately 5\(\times\) more grain refinement than pre-existing inoculants. The highest ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus of 368 ± 2 MPa and 92.8 ± 1.6 GPa, respectively, were achieved at 10 vol.% inoculant in the L-PBF process. Strengthening mechanism calculations and the tensile data suggest a higher strengthening contribution via modulus mismatch and Orowan strengthening from the particles created by reaction synthesis than from Hall–Petch strengthening through grain refinement.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge NASA-LaRC for EBF3 deposition and DSC measurements.

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the Manufacturing and Materials Joining Innovation Center (Ma2JIC), made possible through an award (18-22201) from the National Science Foundation Industry University Cooperative Research Center program (IUCRC), for financial and infrastructure support, and facilitation of in-kind support from Elementum 3D, which provided powder design and L-PBF deposition. Funding was also provided by the National Institute of Aerospace through contract number 201086.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Welding, Joining, and Coatings Research, George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St., Golden, 80401, Colorado, USA

    Ethan Sullivan & Stephen Liu

  2. Elementum 3D, 400 Young Ct., Erie, 80516, Colorado, USA

    Adam Polizzi, Jeremy Iten & Jacob Nuechterlein

  3. NASA Langley Research Center, 1 Nasa Dr., Hampton, 23666, Virginia, USA

    Marcia Domack

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  1. Ethan Sullivan
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Experimentation and data collection and analysis was performed by Ethan Sullivan. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Ethan Sullivan, and all authors contributed to revision and approving of the final draft.

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Sullivan, E., Polizzi, A., Iten, J. et al. Microstructural characterization and tensile behavior of reaction synthesis aluminum 6061 metal matrix composites produced via laser beam powder bed fusion and electron beam freeform fabrication. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 121, 2197–2218 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-022-09443-2

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