Effect of CaCO3 content change on the production of closed-cell aluminum foam by selective laser melting

Abstract

CaCO3 is used as a foaming agent, and a closed-cell aluminum foam is produced by selective laser melting (SLM) technology. The relationship between foaming agent content and sample porosity, pore size, and mechanical properties was explored. It was found that as the content of foaming agent increased, the porosity also increased, the number of pores increased, the average pore diameter increased, and the merging phenomenon between pores became more. In addition, the change in the content of the foaming agent did not cause a particularly large change in the microhardness value of the metal matrix part of the foamed aluminum alloy, and the microhardness value was concentrated between 100 and 110 HV. The results of the compression experiment show that the foamed aluminum alloy manufactured by SLM has a certain degree of energy absorption characteristics and the fracture mode at room temperature is mainly brittle fracture.