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Effect of Initial Relative Density on Liquid-Phase Sintering Behaviors of Al Powder Using Al-Cu Eutectic Alloy Aid:
Ryotaro Kusunoki1, Erika Matsumoto1, Takeshi Higaki1
1Department of Materials Process Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 31, 2025
Summary
Liquid-phase sintering aids aluminum powder for binder jetting additive manufacturing. Initial green body density minimally impacts final density, though higher densities risk pore retention.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Powder Metallurgy
Background:
- Aluminum (Al) powder's low sinterability challenges binder jetting (BJT) additive manufacturing.
- Liquid-phase sintering (LPS) using Al-Cu eutectic alloy offers a potential solution for Al powder sintering.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effect of initial green body relative density on the final relative density of Al parts produced by BJT.
- Determine the applicability of LPS for Al powder in BJT additive manufacturing.
Main Methods:
- Binder jetting (BJT) of Al powder with Al-Cu eutectic alloy as a sintering aid.
- Sintering at 630 °C for 1800 s.
- In situ observation using synchrotron radiation X-ray computed tomography (SR-XCT).
Main Results:
- Final relative density achieved 96-97% across initial relative densities (ρrel,0) of 50-90%.
- Higher initial density (90%) led to pore retention due to pore formation at early sintering stages.
- Lower initial density (50%) promoted particle rearrangement and enhanced densification.
Conclusions:
- Liquid-phase sintering is a viable post-processing method for Al powder in BJT additive manufacturing.
- Controlling initial green body density is crucial to mitigate pore formation and ensure optimal densification.
- Understanding particle rearrangement dynamics aids in optimizing LPS for Al-based BJT parts.
