Processing Technologies and Properties of Cu-10Sn Formed by Selective Laser Melting Combined with Heat Treatment

The selective laser melting (SLM) process of the Cu-10Sn alloy and effects of heat treatment were examined in this study. The Taguchi test and Box-Behnken design were performed to determine the laser power (LP), scanning speed (SS), and hatch space (HS). The best process parameters were selected using the highest density: the optimum HS was 160 μm; SS was 278 mm s^-1; LP was 192 W; and density reached 98.76%. The tensile strength, elongation, Vickers hardness, and impact toughness of the Cu-10Sn alloy formed by SLM are 435 MPa, 13%, 122HV1, and 10 J·cm^-2, respectively. Heat treatment can significantly increase the ductility and impact toughness of the Cu-10Sn alloy, but at the same time, it can reduce its strength. The strength of parts obtained by all five heat treatment methods is much greater than that of castings. Parts that are annealed at 600°C for 4 h have the best mechanical properties, its tensile strength and elongation were 378 MPa and 15%, respectively.