Comparatively evaluating the room and high temperature mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg alloy produced by selective laser melting

Abstract

This work deals with the room and high-temperature mechanical properties of selective laser melted (SLMed) AlSi10Mg alloy through conducting compression testing method in a wide range of temperatures (25–450 °C) under the strain rate of 0.001s−1. The mechanical properties have been compared with those obtained for thixo-cast A356 alloy and AlCuMg2Si in-situ composite at the same thermomechanical condition. The SLMed AlSi10Mg alloy represented a substantially higher fracture toughness especially at low-temperature regime. Where AlCuMg2Si in-situ composite was fractured at 250 °C; and thixocast A356 alloy at 150 °C, the SLMed AlSi10Mg alloy tolerated high amount of strain at room temperature and experienced flow stress softening at 150 °C and 250 °C. The SLMed alloy possessed higher compressive yield strength than other samples at all test temperatures. The peak strains were expectedly decreased with the increase in temperature, however, the SLMed alloy kept its stability almost up to 350 °C. The softening fraction remained relatively constant (<14%) up to 250 °C and then suddenly increased to 22% by further temperature increment to 350 °C which may indicate the change in governing softening mechanisms. The degree of barreling was lower in the case of SLMed AlSi10Mg alloy which meant a higher ability of strain accommodation and capability for strain distribution, which was consistent with high imposed strain tolerated at various temperatures.