Results from recent testing indicate that automotive components made from a novel aluminum alloy, via 3D printing, outperformed those made from traditional aluminum alloys. Traditional wrought aluminum alloys are challenging to process using additive manufacturing (3D printing), so researchers have been looking for alloy variations that perform better in 3D-printing processes. Over the past three years, scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL; Oak Ridge, Tenn.; www.ornl.gov) led by Alex Plotkowski have developed a new alloy, known as DuAlumin-3D, that exhibits improved strength and resistance to deformation at elevated temperatures.
Source: ORNL
Now, the ORNL team has advanced the use of DuAlumin-3D in automotive applications by evaluating DuAlumin-3D components that were made by laser powder-bed fusion processing, a prominent 3D-printing method. “The research team found that DuAlumin-3D outperforms traditional alloys, which are prone to cracking during laser powder-bed fusion processing, while maintaining comparable heat characteristics,” ORNL said. “This advancement offers lightweighting solutions and reduces fuel costs,” they add.
“DuAlumin-3D performed exceptionally well in our evaluations,” said Plotkowski. “While our research focused on its use in high-efficiency engines, it could also be used for lightweighting applications in aerospace and to optimize heat exchangers.”
DuAlumin-3D overcomes problems in 3D printing with its extraordinary fatigue strength and creep resistance — the ability to avoid deformation at constant loads at high temperatures. The alloy retains more than half its strength at temperatures of 300 to 315ºC, with microstructural stability up to 400ºC. This is the highest reported creep resistance of any known aluminum alloy above 300ºC.
The ORNL team is working with commercial automotive partners to further develop the alloy for use in specific vehicle components. The lightweight aluminum alloy was developed jointly with the Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Office.