Oerlikon introduces alloy to replace super duplex stainless steels
At Formnext 2021, Oerlikon AM, Pfäffikon, Schwyz, Switzerland, is presenting a new alloy to match the strength and corrosion resistance of super duplex stainless steels (DSS). The new material is a high-entropy alloy with a nanoscale duplex microstructure.
Said to be well suited to additively manufacturing structural components, such as centrifugal pump impellers, the new alloy is intended to replace DSS by matching its corrosion resistance standards, while also reportedly providing superior strength properties. It is also said to be less susceptible to changes caused by high-temperature operations and requires only a single-step heat treatment.
Oerlikon developed the alloy as part of the NADEA project – a European research initiative on high-entropy alloys in partnership with several industrial and academic partners. Using its proprietary Scoperta Rapid Alloy Development tool, Oerlikon was able to significantly shorten the process in developing the alloy.
By leveraging the inherent benefits of AM, Oerlikon hopes to enable customers to create complex geometries using this new alloy that super duplex steel cannot address via conventional manufacturing. Smoother surfaces for the same structural application are possible in the build process.
Oerlikon is now exhibiting at Formnext in Hall 12.1, E101.
