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Practical Approach to Eliminate Solidification Cracks by Supplementing AlMg4.5Mn0.7 with AlSi10Mg Powder in Laser
Constantin Böhm1, Martin Werz1, Stefan Weihe1
1Materials Testing Institute (MPA), University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 32, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 21, 2022
Summary
Adding aluminum-silicon-magnesium (AlSi10Mg) powder to aluminum-magnesium (AlMg) alloys eliminates solidification cracks during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). This breakthrough enables wider use of LPBF for lightweight applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
- Metallurgy
Background:
- Limited availability of aluminum alloy powders for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), primarily restricted to Al-Si based alloys.
- Existing aluminum alloys for lightweight applications (Al-Mg, Al-Si-Mg, Al-Zn-Mg) are prone to solidification cracking when processed by LPBF.
- Solidification cracking hinders the potential of LPBF for advanced lightweight component manufacturing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of mitigating solidification cracks in aluminum alloys during LPBF by incorporating filler materials.
- To adapt fusion welding techniques for additive manufacturing by supplementing EN AW-5083 (AlMg4.5Mn0.7) with AlSi10Mg.
- To analyze the effect of AlSi10Mg addition on the microstructure and crack formation in LPBF-processed EN AW-5083.
Main Methods:
- Production of EN AW-5083 and its modifications (with +7 wt.% and +15 wt.% AlSi10Mg) using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF).
- Microstructural analysis of the produced samples to identify crack formation and grain structure.
- Quantitative assessment of solidification crack length and grain refinement.
Main Results:
- Unmodified EN AW-5083 exhibited significant solidification cracks (≥200 µm length) parallel to the building direction.
- Addition of just 7 wt.% AlSi10Mg effectively eliminated solidification cracking in the LPBF-processed alloy.
- Microstructural examination revealed visible melt pool boundaries and a 40% grain refinement in AlSi10Mg-supplemented samples.
Conclusions:
- Supplementing EN AW-5083 with a low melting point phase, specifically AlSi10Mg, is a viable strategy to prevent solidification cracking in LPBF.
- The observed grain refinement contributes to the elimination of solidification cracks, enhancing the processability of Al-Mg alloys.
- This study presents a practical and effective approach to overcome limitations in LPBF processing of aluminum alloys for lightweight applications.
