The introduction of a new class of quasicrystalline Al-Fe-Cr composites created by selective laser melting (SLM) opens up prospects for improving the performance of aluminum alloys. This method allows achieving a unique combination of microstructure, hardness and wear resistance, which is critical for applications in the aerospace and automotive industries.
Microstructural analysis shows that SLM promotes the formation of uniformly distributed quasicrystalline particles in the aluminum matrix. These particles, which have high hardness, effectively prevent dislocation movement, which leads to a significant increase in the hardness of the composite compared to pure aluminum.
Wear resistance, a key parameter for many applications, is also significantly improved by the presence of quasicrystalline particles. They provide additional protection of the matrix from abrasive wear and reduce the friction coefficient. Hardness and wear resistance studies demonstrate that the resulting composite outperforms many traditional aluminum alloys, making it a promising material for various engineering applications.
Quasicrystalline composites with a minimum amount of waste obtained by selective laser melting (SLM) are investigated. The effect of laser parameters on the microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of composites is studied, special attention is paid to the size and shape of the quasicrystalline reinforcement AlFe4Cr5. As a result of laser processing, an Al-rich phase QC (Al91Fe4Cr5) is formed.
Increasing the laser power causes grain growth and changes in grain shape from spherical to irregular. The sample obtained at low power exhibits a mixed microstructure (partially melted QC, micro- and nano-QC) and increased wear resistance. Indentation tests show that partially melted QC particles have higher hardness compared to other structures of the composite. The wear mechanism changes from oxidation to delamination with increasing laser power.
The SLM method can create complex parts layer by layer from powder materials. Al-Fe-X quasicrystals have high strength and wear resistance, but their brittleness limits their application. In this study, Al-Cu-Fe-Cr quasicrystalline powder was used with pure aluminum as a matrix.
Author:Nan Kang, Yingqing Fu, Pierre Coddet, Bruno Guelorget, Hanlin Liao, Christian Coddet
Institute:ICB UMR 6303, CNRS, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UTBM, F-90010 Belfort, France, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China, Troyes University of Technology, ICD-LASMIS, UMR STMR CNRS 6279, 12 rue Marie Curie, BP 2060, 10010 Troyes, France