Elsevier

Materials & Design

Volume 198, 15 January 2021, 109323
Materials & Design

EXPRESS ARTICLE
Microstructural aspects of additive manufacturing of Alsingle bondLi alloys with high Li content

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.109323Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Manufacture procedure of high Li content Alsingle bondLi alloy was developed.

  • Fine spherical powders of Al-14at%Li free of contamination were prepared.

  • Laser assisted powder bed fusion (L-PBF) of Alsingle bond14Li alloy was performed.

  • L-PBF leads to Li trapping in Al phase than the formation of brittle δ–AlLi.

Abstract

Laser assisted powder bed fusion using a binary Alsingle bondLi alloy with high Li content (Al–14 at.%Li) has been performed for the first time. The aim was to generate microstructures with extended concentration range of Alsingle bondLi alloys in which the formation of the brittle δ–AlLi phase is avoided. From conventional casting processes it is known that the δ–AlLi phase is detrimental to mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. All processing steps from the production of ingots free of contamination, oxidation and macrosegregation to the synthesis of fine spherical powders appropriate for additive manufacturing to the powder bed fusion routine using ultra short pulses have been investigated. In comparison with as–cast microstructures, the fast cooling rate after laser assisted powder bed fusion leads to a uniform Li distribution in the primary α phase rather than to the formation of δ–AlLi, contributing to comparably high hardness of the samples.

Keywords

Al–14 at.%Li alloy
Rapid solidification microstructure
Powder processing
Laser powder bed fusion

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