Printable high-strength alloys
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsScott Wesley Smith, Servando D. Cuellar, Michael A. Reale, Ivan Audon Lucatero Sanchez
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Abstract
Printable high-strength alloys, including aluminum alloys can be produced in an additive manufacturing process. Such alloys can include aluminum-silver (“Al—Ag”) alloys that are produced by a laser melting process using a powder bed fusion. The results of the process and the characteristics of the produced alloy can be determined by controlling at least an energy beam power, an energy beam speed, and/or an energy beam size. The operational parameters can be controlled with high precision to produce a printable, high-strength aluminum alloy.
Claims6
A structure in a solid state, the structure comprising:
- a first region in a primary hexagonal close-packed (“HCP”) phase;
- and
- a second region in a secondary HCP phase forming needles or platelets, the first region and the second region being separated by a columnar grain boundary, wherein the primary HCP phase is a continuous phase along the columnar grain boundary, wherein each of the first region and the second region comprise an alloy of:
- 50-60 wt. % aluminum;
- and
- 40-50 wt. % silver,
- wherein, at the columnar grain boundary, the silver is segregated from the aluminum,
- wherein the structure has a density that is at least 90% of a theoretical maximum density of the alloy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.