Abstract
The manufacturing of 7xxx series wrought aluminum alloys using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is restricted due to the inherent low laser absorptivity and high crack sensitivity. In this work, Al7075 composite powders decorated with TiN nanoparticles are produced by an ultrasonic vibration dispersion technique. Results show that the laser reflectivity of the composite powders is notably reduced, leading to improved LPBF processability. Therefore, nearly dense and crack-free TiN/Al7075 composites are successfully fabricated by LPBF. The microstructure of as-built composites is significantly refined after adding TiN nanoparticles, thus inhibiting the crack initiation. The TiN/Al7075 composites exhibit remarkably improved microhardness and compressive properties compared to unreinforced Al7075 alloy. This paper provides a new path in fabricating high-strength aluminum alloys by LPBF.
Published Version
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