Speaker
Description
Over the last decades, AM has experienced rapid growth. Its applications have expanded from conventional metallic materials to intermetallic compounds and increasingly to advanced alloy systems. This development creates a growing demand for tailored feedstocks that are specifically designed for both the intended application and the AM process used. These feedstocks include not only the final AM powders but also the upstream production routes and processing steps required to manufacture them.
An advanced EIGA atomization platform with distinctive design features and a highly flexible operating range is explored for its ability to produce truly application-driven AM powders. By carefully engineering the electrode feedstock, powder characteristics can be tailored to the specific demands of the AM process and the performance requirements of the final component. Different feedstock manufacturing concepts, ranging from conventional melting routes such as VIM, VAR-SM and ISM to powder-based approaches utilizing CIP, are assessed. Beyond powder production, these routes unlock opportunities to create proprietary master alloys and material architectures that are unavailable through commercial supply chains, opening the door to entirely new material families for additive manufacturing.
Owing to their outstanding intrinsic strength, refractory HEAs offer a unique advantage by reducing the reliance on conventional forging operations for achieving high-performance microstructures [1].
By overcoming the limitations of conventional melt-metallurgical processing, GfE has developed a novel route for producing EIGA feedstocks from ultra-high-temperature alloy systems. The technology enables the processing of challenging materials, including highly brittle intermetallic systems, as well as refractory near HEA.
Fig. 1 shows near-HEA powder as atomized, feedstock manufactured via CIP
Figure 1: near-HEA powder, as atomized
By providing suitable powder feedstocks for these advanced materials, the gap between laboratory-scale alloy development and industrial application can be significantly reduced, while expanding the capabilities of additive manufacturing toward high-strength and high-temperature applications.
REFERENCES
1) P. EASO. GORGE, D. RAABE et.al, High Entropy Alloys, DOE Pages, Department of Energy 2019, https://www.osti.gov/pages/biblio/1550755