Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical Properties
As researchers continue to seek the expansion of the material base for additive manufacturing, there is a need to focus attention on the Ni–Cu group of alloys which conventionally has wide industrial applications. In this work, the G-NiCu30Nb casting alloy, a variant of the Monel family of alloys wi...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/10/3401 |
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| author | Iris Raffeis Frank Adjei-Kyeremeh Uwe Vroomen Elmar Westhoff Sebastian Bremen Alexandru Hohoi Andreas Bührig-Polaczek |
| author_facet | Iris Raffeis Frank Adjei-Kyeremeh Uwe Vroomen Elmar Westhoff Sebastian Bremen Alexandru Hohoi Andreas Bührig-Polaczek |
| author_sort | Iris Raffeis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As researchers continue to seek the expansion of the material base for additive manufacturing, there is a need to focus attention on the Ni–Cu group of alloys which conventionally has wide industrial applications. In this work, the G-NiCu30Nb casting alloy, a variant of the Monel family of alloys with Nb and high Si content is, for the first time, processed via the laser powder bed fusion process (LPBF). Being novel to the LPBF processes, optimum LPBF parameters were determined, and hardness and tensile tests were performed in as-built conditions and after heat treatment at 1000 °C. Microstructures of the as-cast and the as-built condition were compared. Highly dense samples (99.8% density) were achieved after varying hatch distance (80 µm and 140 µm) with scanning speed (550 mm/s–1500 mm/s). There was no significant difference in microhardness between varied hatch distance print sets. Microhardness of the as-built condition (247 HV<sub>0.2</sub>) exceeded the as-cast microhardness (179 HV<sub>0.2</sub>.). Tensile specimens built in vertical (V) and horizontal (H) orientations revealed degrees of anisotropy and were superior to conventionally reported figures. Post heat treatment increased ductility from 20% to 31% (V), as well as from 16% to 25% (H), while ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) were considerably reduced. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:50:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d6172732f2e942db957170c0c7d9402c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:50:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d6172732f2e942db957170c0c7d9402c2023-11-20T00:28:10ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-05-011010340110.3390/app10103401Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical PropertiesIris Raffeis0Frank Adjei-Kyeremeh1Uwe Vroomen2Elmar Westhoff3Sebastian Bremen4Alexandru Hohoi5Andreas Bührig-Polaczek6Foundry Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Intzestraße 5, 52072 Aachen, GermanyFoundry Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Intzestraße 5, 52072 Aachen, GermanyFoundry Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Intzestraße 5, 52072 Aachen, GermanyOtto Junker GmbH, Jägerhausstr. 22, 52152 Simmerath, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT), Steinbachstraße 15, 52074 Aachen and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Goethestr. 1, 52064 Aachen, GermanyOerlikon AM GmbH, Kapellenstraße 12, 85622 Feldkirchen, GermanyFoundry Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Intzestraße 5, 52072 Aachen, GermanyAs researchers continue to seek the expansion of the material base for additive manufacturing, there is a need to focus attention on the Ni–Cu group of alloys which conventionally has wide industrial applications. In this work, the G-NiCu30Nb casting alloy, a variant of the Monel family of alloys with Nb and high Si content is, for the first time, processed via the laser powder bed fusion process (LPBF). Being novel to the LPBF processes, optimum LPBF parameters were determined, and hardness and tensile tests were performed in as-built conditions and after heat treatment at 1000 °C. Microstructures of the as-cast and the as-built condition were compared. Highly dense samples (99.8% density) were achieved after varying hatch distance (80 µm and 140 µm) with scanning speed (550 mm/s–1500 mm/s). There was no significant difference in microhardness between varied hatch distance print sets. Microhardness of the as-built condition (247 HV<sub>0.2</sub>) exceeded the as-cast microhardness (179 HV<sub>0.2</sub>.). Tensile specimens built in vertical (V) and horizontal (H) orientations revealed degrees of anisotropy and were superior to conventionally reported figures. Post heat treatment increased ductility from 20% to 31% (V), as well as from 16% to 25% (H), while ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) were considerably reduced.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/10/3401additive manufacturingLPBFas-builtas-castmicrostructuremicrohardness |
| spellingShingle | Iris Raffeis Frank Adjei-Kyeremeh Uwe Vroomen Elmar Westhoff Sebastian Bremen Alexandru Hohoi Andreas Bührig-Polaczek Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical Properties Applied Sciences additive manufacturing LPBF as-built as-cast microstructure microhardness |
| title | Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical Properties |
| title_full | Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical Properties |
| title_fullStr | Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical Properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical Properties |
| title_short | Qualification of a Ni–Cu Alloy for the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process (LPBF): Its Microstructure and Mechanical Properties |
| title_sort | qualification of a ni cu alloy for the laser powder bed fusion process lpbf its microstructure and mechanical properties |
| topic | additive manufacturing LPBF as-built as-cast microstructure microhardness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/10/3401 |
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