Microstructure and Properties of Crack-Free Ti-Modified 6063 Aluminum Alloy TPMS Porous Structures Fabricated by LPBF.
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| Title: | Microstructure and Properties of Crack-Free Ti-Modified 6063 Aluminum Alloy TPMS Porous Structures Fabricated by LPBF. |
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| Authors: | Pan, Zian1,2 (AUTHOR), Liu, Yunzhong1,2 (AUTHOR) yzhliu@scut.edu.cn, Fan, Zhenhua1,2 (AUTHOR), Huang, Mingsheng1,2 (AUTHOR), Jiang, Wenhao1,2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Materials (1996-1944). May2026, Vol. 19 Issue 9, p1784. 26p. |
| Subjects: | Grain refinement, Powder bed fusion, Thermal stress cracking, Aluminum alloys, Minimal surfaces, Porosity, Mechanical behavior of materials, Thermal conductivity |
| Abstract: | 6063 aluminum alloy has broad application prospects in aerospace and microelectronic thermal management systems due to its good thermal conductivity and moderate strength. However, its extremely high hot cracking susceptibility during the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process limits the direct manufacturing of complex components. This study proposes a strategy combining material composition modification with advanced structural design. By introducing TiH2 nanoparticles (1.0~4.5 wt.%) to modify the 6063 aluminum alloy powder, Diamond-type porous structures based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) were successfully fabricated using LPBF technology. The results show that the introduction of TiH2 significantly suppresses the solidification cracking of the aluminum alloy. The underlying mechanism is that the L12-structured Al3Ti particles, generated by the in situ decomposition of TiH2 in the melt pool, provide high-density heterogeneous nucleation sites. This leads to a drastic decrease in the average grain size from 30.46 μm to 0.75 μm (a reduction of 97.5%), achieving a remarkable columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET). In terms of mechanical properties, the 3.0 wt.% TiH2 addition group exhibits excellent plateau stress (28.5 MPa) and energy absorption capacity, which is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of fine-grain strengthening and Orowan dispersion strengthening. Thermal tests reveal that the thermal conductivity of the 3.0 wt.% group reaches 123 W/(m·K) at 100 °C. The healing of cracks reconstructs the macroscopic heat conduction paths, resulting in a significant improvement in thermal conductivity compared with the unmodified group. This work provides a theoretical reference for the development of high-performance, crack-free, and multi-functional integrated aluminum alloy components via additive manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Abstract: | 6063 aluminum alloy has broad application prospects in aerospace and microelectronic thermal management systems due to its good thermal conductivity and moderate strength. However, its extremely high hot cracking susceptibility during the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process limits the direct manufacturing of complex components. This study proposes a strategy combining material composition modification with advanced structural design. By introducing TiH2 nanoparticles (1.0~4.5 wt.%) to modify the 6063 aluminum alloy powder, Diamond-type porous structures based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) were successfully fabricated using LPBF technology. The results show that the introduction of TiH2 significantly suppresses the solidification cracking of the aluminum alloy. The underlying mechanism is that the L12-structured Al3Ti particles, generated by the in situ decomposition of TiH2 in the melt pool, provide high-density heterogeneous nucleation sites. This leads to a drastic decrease in the average grain size from 30.46 μm to 0.75 μm (a reduction of 97.5%), achieving a remarkable columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET). In terms of mechanical properties, the 3.0 wt.% TiH2 addition group exhibits excellent plateau stress (28.5 MPa) and energy absorption capacity, which is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of fine-grain strengthening and Orowan dispersion strengthening. Thermal tests reveal that the thermal conductivity of the 3.0 wt.% group reaches 123 W/(m·K) at 100 °C. The healing of cracks reconstructs the macroscopic heat conduction paths, resulting in a significant improvement in thermal conductivity compared with the unmodified group. This work provides a theoretical reference for the development of high-performance, crack-free, and multi-functional integrated aluminum alloy components via additive manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 19961944 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/ma19091784 |
