The Development of New Aluminum Alloys for the Laser-Powder Bed Fusion Process

The laserLaser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processingProcessingenvironmentEnvironment poses significant challengesChallenges for the expansion of materials available for usage as a result of the drastic cooling rates native to this manufacturing method. First introduced in the castingCasting manufacturing ecosystem, the incorporation of small amounts of grain refining rare-earth metals, particularly scandiumScandium, into aluminum alloysAluminum alloys (Al alloysAl alloy) provided an avenue to resist the detrimental effects imposed by extreme thermal gradients, while also imparting a not insignificant increase in material strength. Through the analysis of solidificationSolidification behaviour, complementary element pairings, and owing to the supersaturation potential in these manufacturing conditions, a material designDesignstrategyStrategy is outlined based upon observations made through experimentation and from the literature. Results show that an apparent extensive processingProcessing window exists for the material studied, with many opportunities for further improvementImprovement of print results available. Further work objectives are outlined for work involving the synthesis of new materials using scandiumScandium as a significant additiveAdditive, owing to its grain refining qualities.