Back in 2023 we started the conversation on Aluminum-Cerium alloy powders with Politecnico di Torino. Crack-free printing: is that possible?
VALIMET, Inc. atomized and delivered AM8019 powder, an alloy we suggest paying attention to, as it exhibits:
– High-temperature performance;
– Corrosion/Oxidation resistance;
– Thermal Fatigue resistance;
– Typically not needing thermal treatment.
Have a glimpse of its formulation here: https://valimet.com/solutions/
PhD student Nicolò Arcieri, also alumnus of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Professor Diego Manfredi and Professor Marco Actis Grande presented a non-obvious work at the World PM Congress in Yokohama, JP, in October 2024.
They compared the microstructures they could obtain by pressing & sintering v. LPBF.
The latter route showed Cracks-Free printability, thanks to the presence of fine, evenly distributed Ce-rich intermetallics.
See the paper here: 10.2497/jjspm.16B-T6-30
The findings are particularly relevant because Al-Ce alloys have multiple applications and they might inspire #AdditiveManufacturing solutions:
- Automotive castings (cylinder heads, turbo components);
- Power generation (Hydroelectric turbine blades, molten salt systems);
- Military castings (high-temp, low-maintenance components);
Studies have been funded in the past by the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) via U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded projects. These alloys have exhibited thermal stability up to ~500 °C, good corrosion resistance, and castability advantages (often heat-treatment-free). - Via pressing and sintering, the Al‑9Fe‑4Ce alloy has been used to produce wear‑resistant components such as crankshaft bearing shells, cylinder liners, valve guides, pistons, and bearing bushes.
In conclusion, the Al-Ce-Fe system of AM8019 shows Cracks-Free printability and it’s ready-to-grab for applications where a mix of Thermal Fatigue, High Strength at temperature, Corrosion Resistance is needed.
Contact us if you want to test some powder: sales@valimet.com
#Aeronautics #SpaceIndustry #Aluminum #Cerium