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Nanoscaled eutectic NiAl-(Cr,Mo) composites with exceptional mechanical properties processed by electron beam melting
Andreas Förner1, S Giese2, C Arnold3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute I, General Materials Properties, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Martensstraße 5, 91058, Erlangen, Germany. andreas.foerner@fau.de.
Scientific Reports
|September 17, 2020
Summary
Selective electron beam melting enhances eutectic nickel-aluminum-chromium-molybdenum (NiAl-(Cr,Mo)) composites. This additive manufacturing process yields a fine microstructure, improving hardness and fracture toughness for high-temperature applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Metallurgy
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Eutectic NiAl-(Cr,Mo) composites offer high melting points, oxidation resistance, and low density, making them suitable for high-temperature applications.
- Enhancing strength, hardness, and fracture toughness in these composites is crucial for their broader use.
- Fine microstructures are known to improve mechanical properties, but achieving them in NiAl-(Cr,Mo) composites has been challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of additive manufacturing eutectic NiAl-(Cr,Mo) in-situ composites using selective electron beam melting.
- To determine if selective electron beam melting can produce a fine microstructure in NiAl-(Cr,Mo) composites.
- To evaluate the resulting mechanical properties, specifically hardness and fracture toughness.
Main Methods:
- Utilized selective electron beam melting (SEBM), an additive manufacturing technique.
- Controlled high cooling rates and temperature gradients inherent to the SEBM process.
- Characterized the resulting microstructure and measured hardness and fracture toughness.
Main Results:
- Achieved the finest microstructure reported to date for NiAl-(Cr,Mo) in-situ composites.
- Observed significantly enhanced hardness.
- Identified effective fracture toughening mechanisms within the manufactured composite.
Conclusions:
- Selective electron beam melting is a viable method for producing high-performance eutectic NiAl-(Cr,Mo) in-situ composites.
- The SEBM process enables the creation of exceptionally fine microstructures, leading to superior mechanical properties.
- This study demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing for advanced high-temperature materials.
