Fabricating Superior NiAl Bronze Components through Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Marine Technology

Background:

• Cast nickel aluminum bronze (NAB) is crucial for marine engineering due to its strength and corrosion resistance.
• Casting defects like porosity and coarse microstructure in NAB reduce mechanical performance.
• Existing post-processing methods for cast NAB have limitations in scope and application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) as a novel technique for producing NAB components.
• To evaluate the microstructure and mechanical properties of additively manufactured NAB.
• To assess the impact of process parameters and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) on NAB quality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) to deposit NAB layer-by-layer.
• Analyzed the microstructure of as-manufactured and heat-treated NAB components.
• Characterized the mechanical properties of the resulting NAB materials.
• Investigated the influence of heat input and PWHT on alloy uniformity and performance.

Main Results:

• Additively manufactured NAB components achieved full density and fine microstructures without post-processing.
• Mechanical properties of WAAM-produced NAB were comparable to conventionally cast NAB.
• Optimized heat input and PWHT resulted in uniform NAB alloys with enhanced mechanical properties.

Conclusions:

• WAAM is a viable technique for producing high-quality NAB components for marine applications.
• WAAM offers advantages over traditional casting by mitigating porosity and refining microstructure.
• Further research into WAAM process optimization can unlock superior material performance for marine environments.