Additive manufacturing of a high strength Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2021.02.048

Abstract

Abstract:

A novel Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy was processed by selective laser melting (SLM) to understand its representative features of microstructural evolution and mechanical properties during additive manufacturing (AM). The as-SLM fabricated Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy is found to deliver much less hot cracks and other defects. Meanwhile, excellent mechanical property is also achieved, i.e. 452 ± 11 MPa for ultimate tensile strength, 295 ± 14 MPa for yield strength, and 9.3 ± 2.5% for elongation. Clearly, these mechanical properties are better than that obtained by high pressure die casting (HPDC), and better than some other alloys obtained by SLM. The as-SLM fabricated Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy is featured by the significantly refined microstructures in the compact primary α-Al, the divorced Mg2Si eutectic networks distributing at α-Al grain boundaries, and some α-AlFeMnSi phase in association with eutectic Mg2Si phase. The high strength and ductility of the alloy are attributed to its unique features including (a) the reduced solidification range, (b) the possible increase of the eutectic level in the microstructure, and (c) the shift of eutectic point and the maximum solubility point of Mg2Si in Al matrix.

Key words: Aluminium alloys, Additive manufacturing, Selective laser melting, Microstructure, Mechanical properties

Hailin Yang, Yingying Zhang, Jianying Wang, Zhilin Liu, Chunhui Liu, Shouxun Ji. Additive manufacturing of a high strength Al-5Mg₂Si-2Mg alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 91: 215-223.

Figures/Tables 13

Table 1 The composition of experimental Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy powder calibrated by ICP-AES (in wt.%).

Mg	Si	Mg₂Si	Mn	Fe	Others	Al
2.03	-	5.05	0.42	0.11	<0.08	Bal.

Fig. 1. (a) SEM image showing the morphology of Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy powder with Ar gas atomization; (b) Particle size distribution of the atomized powder; (c) and (d) SEM images showing the morphology of atomized article on the cross section and detailed microstructure of Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy.

Fig. 2. The relationship between relative density and volumetric energy density.

Fig. 3. The effect of volumetric energy density on the hardness of as-SLM fabricated Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy.

Fig. 4. XRD patterns of the experimental alloy under powder and fabricated conditions.

Fig. 5. EBSD images of as-fabricated Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy along (a) the horizontal direction (in cross plane parallel to base plate), (b) the building direction (in cross plane perpendicular to base plate), and (c) corresponding IPF map.

Fig. 6. SEM images showing (a) the overall microstructure, (b) the detailed microstructure in zone 3, and (c) the detailed microstructure in zone 1 along the horizontal direction; (d) the overall microstructure, (e) the detailed microstructure in zone 3, and (f) the detailed microstructure in zone 1 along the building direction in the SLM fabricated Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy. 1- MP fine zone, 2- HAZ (heat affected zone), 3- MP coarse zone.

Fig. 7. HAADF-STEM image showing the microstructures of as-built Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy and individual elemental mapping of Al, Mg, Si, Mn and Fe.

Fig. 8. HAADF-STEM image showing the microstructures of intermetallic phase in the as-built Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy and individual elemental mapping of Al, Fe, Mn, Si and Mg.

Fig. 9. (a) Bright field TEM showing the detailed microstructure in the cellar structure and (b) and (c) HRTEM showing the interface of Al/Mg2Si and the inserts showing the orientation of FTT.

Fig. 10. Tensile stress-strain curves of as-SLM fabricated Al-5Mg2Si-2Mg alloy.

Table 2 Mechanical properties of SLM fabricated Al-Si alloys from different literatures.

Material	Condition	Yield strength (MPa)	UTS (MPa)	Elongation (%)	Refs.
Al-5Mg₂Si-2Mg	As-SLM fabricated	295 ± 14	452 ± 11	9.3 ± 2.5%	This work
Al7Si0.3Mg	As-SLM fabricated horizontal	210	400	11	[24]
	As-SLM fabricated vertical	200	390	10	[24]
Al7Si0.6Mg	As-SLM fabricated horizontal	280	410	7.5	[25]
Al7Si0.6Mg	As-SLM fabricated vertical	240	400	7	[25]
Al9Si3Cu	As-SLM fabricated	219 ± 20	374 ± 11	1.9 ± 0.2	[26]
	As-SLM fabricated	236 ± 8	415 ± 15	5.0 ± 2.0	[27]
Al10SiMg	As-SLM fabricated horizontal	245	~330	1.2	[28]
	As-SLM fabricated vertical	220	310	1	[28]
	As-SLM fabricated	-	396	3.5	[29]
	As-SLM fabricated		360	6	[30]
	As-SLM fabricated	268 + 2	333 + 15	1.4 + 0.3	[31]
	As-SLM fabricated	255 ± 13	377 ± 13	2.2 ± 0.2	[32]
	As-SLM fabricated horizontal	182	282	25	[33]
	As-SLM fabricated vertical	184	284	18	[33]
	As-SLM fabricated horizontal	206-241	360-390	5,6	[33]
	As-SLM fabricated vertical	198-208	345-357	3	[34]
Al11SiCuMn	As-SLM fabricated	350 ± 5	470 ± 18	1.8 ± 0.4	[35]
Al12Si	As-SLM fabricated	225	360	5	[36]
	As-SLM fabricated	260 ± 5	380	3	[37]
Al12Si0.75Mg	As-SLM fabricated	354.9	427.7	2.54	[38]

Fig. 11. (a) Equilibrium phase diagram of Al-Mg2Si and Al-Mg2Si-2Mg alloys calculated by Pandat, and (b) the fraction of solid phase evolved during solidification calculated using Scheil-Gulliver non-equilibrium solidification model for Al-5Mg-2Si alloy.

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Additive manufacturing of a high strength Al-5Mg₂Si-2Mg alloy: Microstructure and mechanical properties

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