Researchers explore aluminium with ceramic particles for aerospace Additive Manufacturing
The Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, with its research reactor FRM II in Rez near Prague, along with Colibrium Additive, and the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany, have announced a new ErUM Transfer research project, AlaAF, funded by the German government. The project will focus on how to manufacture lightweight, yet highly resilient, aluminium components for aerospace using Additive Manufacturing, specifically Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB).
The team are pursuing a new approach in which special additives in the metal powder react chemically during the manufacturing process and form finely distributed ceramic particles in the sub-micrometre range. These particles influence crystal growth in the material by promoting a fine-grained, uniform microstructure, thereby reducing the formation of cracks. This may enable the industrial use of aluminium alloys previously considered virtually impossible to additively manufacture, offering potential advantages such as lower weight, higher load-bearing capacity and more sustainable production through material savings.
The three research partners are working closely together on the project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Technology and Space (BMFTR) with a total of €1.17 million as part of the Action Plan for Research into the Universe and Matter (ErUM).
Colibrium Additive is contributing industrial technology and is working with TUM and FAU to develop the appropriate process parameters for the PBF-LB process. FAU analyses additively manufactured materials and their mechanical properties using microscopic methods. Researchers at FRM II are responsible for the comprehensive investigation and quality testing of the materials using neutron methods.
Several methods are used at FRM II: Neutron diffraction allows the precise determination of phase distributions and internal stresses, key parameters for assessing strength and stability. Neutron imaging (radiography and tomography) makes it possible to visualise even the finest cracks or pores deep inside the samples in a non-destructive manner. In general, the greater sensitivity of neutrons compared to X-rays is used to better understand the material’s microstructure.
Dr habil Ralph Gilles, project manager at TUM and spokesperson for the consortium, shared, “Neutrons have a high penetration depth and are therefore ideal for analysing large, additively manufactured components for industry – a task that would be impossible with other techniques.”
In addition, the combination of neutron experiments with mechanical loading and temperature variation on a testing machine specially developed at the FRM II allows for a realistic simulation of industrial operating conditions. This makes it possible to record the material behaviour under typical operating conditions.
