Process-Structure-Property Relationships in Additively Manufactured Metal Matrix Composites

Additive manufacturing (AM) refers to a group of technologies providing rapid production of three-dimensional parts with complex shapes in a layer-by-layer manner. AM technologies are currently applied in various industries including tooling, automotive, aerospace, and biomedical industries. Besides the most commonly used metallic materials such as steel, titanium, aluminum, nickel-based and cobalt-chromium alloys, AM technology has recently opened the door for developing more complex materials such as composites and functionally graded materials. A relatively new focus in AM is the development of high quality metal matrix composites (MMCs) that meet the requirements of automotive and aerospace industries. However, processing of these materials still needs noticeable research and development. Although preliminary works on AM of MMCs are underway, many objectives such as process optimization and defect-free production need to be yet explored. The main objective of this chapter is to establish a detailed relationship between the material properties, processing parameters, microstructural evolutions and mechanical properties of the additively manufactured MMCs.