Enhancement in strength and ductility of laser powder bed fused Al–12Si alloy by introducing nanoscale precipitates

Abstract

In order to manage both the strength and ductility of Al–Si alloys additively manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), an attempt was made to introduce nanoscale precipitates within the α-Al (fcc) supersaturated solid solution using the L-PBF manufactured Al–12%Si alloy by artificial aging treatments. The aging treatment at 120°C improved both the tensile strength and ductility (total elongation) of the L-PBF manufactured specimen. The simultaneous strength–ductility enhancement is due to the homogeneously distributed nanoscale Si precipitates that enhanced the strain hardening. These results provide new insights for overcoming the strength-ductility trade-off in the L-PBF manufactured Al alloys.