Plasma powder transferred arc additive manufacturing of ((Fe, Ni)-Al) intermetallic alloy and resulting properties

Abstract

Intermetallic alloys such as iron aluminides are of increasing interest for high-temperature applications due to their properties. However, their application potential is restricted by their limited machinability with conventional manufacturing methods such as milling. Arc-based additive manufacturing offers an approach to produce these materials to final contour or with very little post-processing. However, the properties of many intermetallic alloys, such as low toughness, require a special manufacturing process. Using a selected iron-nickel-aluminum intermetallic compound as an example, a possible process, including a subsidiary heat treatment, for the arc-based additive manufacturing of materials based on brittle intermetallic materials is presented. This process route could enable the production of structural components. In addition, some basic mechanical properties that can be achieved in a component are shown proportionally. These properties include initial investigations into the wear resistance of this kind of compounds. It is shown that these intermetallic compounds have a superior wear resistance compared to commonly used co-base alloys but have a lower density compared to cobalt-basis alloys.