Developing gradient metal alloys through radial deposition additive manufacturing.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Metallurgy

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM) offers a paradigm shift from conventional manufacturing processes.
• While polymer AM is prevalent, metal alloy AM techniques have existed for over a decade.
• Laser deposition (LD) is a key AM technique for fabricating metal alloys.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate multifunctional metal alloys with strategically graded compositions using laser deposition.
• To develop a roadmap for creating gradient alloys by utilizing multi-component phase diagrams.
• To demonstrate practical applications of radially graded metal alloys in aerospace.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing laser deposition (LD) for metal alloy fabrication.
• Employing rotational deposition in conjunction with LD to create radial compositional gradients.
• Using multi-component phase diagrams to guide alloy composition selection and avoid undesirable phases.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of metal alloys with radially graded compositions.
• Demonstration of altered mechanical and physical properties due to compositional gradients.
• Development of a roadmap for designing gradient alloys based on phase diagrams.

Conclusions:

• Laser deposition combined with rotational deposition enables the fabrication of complex, multifunctional gradient alloys.
• Radially graded metal alloys possess tunable properties suitable for advanced applications.
• The developed roadmap provides a systematic approach for designing novel gradient alloys.