Surpassing traditional strength limits by additive Manufacturing of innovative alloys

Objetivo

"High-strength materials play a pivotal role in materials engineering, offering exceptional durability, mechanical reliability, and an enhanced strength-to-weight ratio. As a result, they are in high demand across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and construction, where they contribute to improved safety, sustainability, fuel efficiency, and maintenance costs. However, the development of ultrahigh strength alloys has been impeded by challenges such as the strength-ductility trade-off and microstructural control.

To overcome these limitations, the ""STAMINA"" project aims to harness the potential of immiscible alloys combined with rapid solidification through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) - an Additive Manufacturing (AM) method- to fabricate alloys with unprecedented strength (>2-5 GPa). The innovative combination of Fe-Cu immiscible alloys and LPBF results in a unique microstructure characterised by fine grains and nano-sized, nano-spaced precipitates formed during the rapid solidification of two immiscible phases.

However, the printing of immiscible alloys faces obstacles, notably liquation cracking during LPBF. To address these challenges, the STAMINA project focuses on optimising laser parameters and alloy composition to achieve a defect-free microstructure with a uniform distribution of nano (2-5 nm) precipitates and ultrafine grains, with the latter leading to isotropic mechanical properties. Additionally, the project pioneers the study of two liquid interactions under severe convection using high-energy X-ray analysis.

By integrating expertise from multiple disciplines, including materials engineering, AM, and fluid dynamics, STAMINA seeks to establish theoretical foundations and innovative techniques for producing novel immiscible alloys. The successful realisation of this research has the potential to unlock new frontiers for cutting-edge technologies, which are currently limited by the availability of high-strength materials."