Metal Alloys for Fusion‐Based Additive Manufacturing

TLDR

Metal additive manufacturing builds parts layer by layer, offering advantages in complexity, time, and waste reduction, but the range of alloys suitable for the process is limited by its complex thermal cycle and rapid solidification. This review aims to understand alloying strategies and current progress in materials performance to guide alloy development for metal AM, presenting the range of alloys and highlighting promising systems. The authors summarize approaches for designing and optimizing new materials for metal AM, focusing on the relationship between composition, processing, microstructure, and properties.

Abstract

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is an innovative manufacturing technique, which builds parts incrementally layer by layer. Thus, metal AM has inherent advantages in part complexity, time, and waste saving. However, due to its complex thermal cycle and rapid solidification during processing, the alloys well suit and commercially used for metal AM today are limited. Therefore, it is important to understand the alloying strategy and current progress with materials performance to consider alloy development for metal AM. This review presents the current range of alloys available for metal AM, including titanium, steel, nickel, aluminum, less common alloys (including Mg alloys, metal matrix composites alloys, and low melting point alloys), and compositionally complex alloys (including bulk metallic glasses and high entropy alloys) with a focus on the relationship between compositions, processing, microstructures, and properties of each alloy system. In addition, some promising alloy systems for metal AM are highlighted. Approaches for designing and optimizing new materials for metal AM have been summarized.