Laser additive manufacturing of TiB2-modified Cu15Ni8Sn/GH3230 heterogeneous materials: Processability, interfacial microstructure and mechanical performance

Gao, Jian; Han, Quanquan; Soe, Shwe; Wang, Liqiao; Zhang, Zhenhua; Zhang, Han; Song, Jun; Liu, Yue; Setchi, Rossitza; Yang, Shoufeng

Abstract

Cu/Ni heterogeneous materials integrate excellent thermal conductivity and high-temperature mechanical properties, enabling them to be widely used in the aerospace domain. Differences in the thermal and physical properties of the Cu and Ni materials, however, make them difficult to be processed using the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing process. This study systematically examines the effects of various LPBF process parameters on microstructure, element diffusion, bonding strength and microhardness at the Cu/Ni interface, as well as investigating the mechanisms of defect formation within Cu/Ni heterogeneous materials. The results indicate that a reasonable control of laser energy input (<100 J/mm3) facilitates the Cu/Ni components through strong interfacial metallurgical bonding without pore defect formation. Compared to single-material Cu alloy, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the horizontally bonded Cu/Ni specimen increased by 55.25 %, without significant reductions in elongation. The vertically bonded Cu/Ni tensile specimen fractured in the middle of the Cu region rather than the interfacial region, indicating superb interfacial bonding strength. Another advantage lies in the enhancement of thermophysical properties, with a 109.5 % increase in thermal conductivity achieved in the LPBF-fabricated Cu/Ni heterogeneous materials compared to the single-material Ni alloy. Quasi-static compression experiments indicated that the Cu/Ni lattice structure could absorb more energy when compressed parallel to the build direction (BD), compared to being perpendicular to the BD. This study provides guidance for the design and manufacture of high-performance Cu/Ni heterogeneous components via LPBF.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 10, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Apr 13, 2024
• Publication Date: May 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Apr 16, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 14, 2026
• Journal: Materials Science and Engineering: A
• Print ISSN: 0921-5093
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 900
• Article Number: 146496
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2024.146496
• Keywords: Mechanical Engineering; Mechanics of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; General Materials Science
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11902548
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921509324004271
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Laser additive manufacturing of TiB2-modified Cu15Ni8Sn/GH3230 heterogeneous materials: Processability, interfacial microstructure and mechanical performance; Journal Title: Materials Science and Engineering: A; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2024.146496; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.