Experimental determination of cooling rates in selectively laser-melted eutectic Al-33Cu

Abstract

The cooling rates inherent to selective laser melting (SLM) were experimentally determined by processing the eutectic Al-33Cu (wt.%) alloy. Two different parameter sets yielding an identical volumetric energy density were employed to produce the samples. Based on the average spacing of the Al and CuAl2 lamellae, the cooling rates in different parts of the SLM specimens were estimated. At a high laser power (300 W) the cooling rate amounts to 104 K/s and at the lower laser power (200 W) to 105 K/s. The present approach proves to be useful for exploring the thermal history of additively manufactured metallic components.