Coaxial Wire Laser-based Additive Manufacturing of AA7075 with TiC Nanoparticles

Abstract

AA7075 is a heat treatable aluminium alloy widely used in aerospace and automotive applications due to its outstanding high strength-to-weight ratio. However, the implementation of this alloy in Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes has been limited due to its susceptibility to hot cracking. Moreover, selective evaporation of low boiling point elements Zn and Mg can cause gas porosity and diminish the mechanical properties of AM parts. Recent research revealed the effectiveness of nanoparticles additives to change the solidification behaviour of high-strength aluminium alloys and improve their weldability/printability. In this study, AA7075 enhanced with TiC nanoparticles was utilized as wire feedstock to create single and multi-layer samples with coaxial laser-directed energy deposition (L-DED). The response of the samples to precipitation hardening was studied, evaluating the microstructure and the microhardness before and after T6 heat treatment. Specimens were characterized using optical and electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Crack-free and virtually porosity-free samples were fabricated, which exhibit a refined equiaxed grain structure with grain size <10μm. This confirms the ability of TiC nanoparticles to prevent columnar dendritic growth and promote heterogeneous nucleation. Microhardness values increased by 51 HV after T6 heat treatment and were uniform across the sample. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis showed that there are evaporation losses of Zn and Mg. Considering the boiling temperatures of these elements, it is inferred that the molten pool reaches temperatures above 1090°C, and the partially melted zone temperature is between 907°C and 1090°C.