Microstructure control for inoculated high-strength aluminum alloys fabricated by additive manufacturing: A state-of-the-art review

IF 33.6 1区材料科学 Q1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Progress in Materials Science Pub Date : 2025-05-03 DOI:10.1016/j.pmatsci.2025.101502

Cherq Chua , Jia An , Chee Kai Chua , Che-Nan Kuo , Swee Leong Sing

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Abstract

High-strength aluminium (Al) alloys are prone to hot cracking defects during additive manufacturing (AM) due to extensive columnar grain growth and a large solidification range. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of inoculation treatment in addressing the non-printability of high-strength Al alloys by promoting the formation of equiaxed grains. Since then, significant progress has been made in controlling microstructure and improving the mechanical properties of these alloys. This state-of-the-art review presents the emerging research on inoculated high-strength Al alloys fabricated through two major AM technologies: powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED). The efficiency of different inoculants and alloying elements in grain refinement are discussed based on the existing theories. Novel processing strategies for controlling the microstructures of these inoculated high-strength Al alloys are also examined. This review underscores that grain refinement in inoculated high-strength Al alloys produced via AM depends on multiple factors, including the selection of inoculants, inoculation techniques, solute elements, and processing strategies. While recent studies mainly focus on modifying alloy compositions, this review emphasizes the critical role of solidification process control in regulating the grain structure. Numerical simulations specifically developed for predicting the grain structure of these alloys, which can aid in the process optimization, are also reviewed. The subsequent discussion covers the effect of inoculation treatment on mechanical properties. The article concludes by outlining the major findings and presenting future outlooks. This review aims to provide comprehensive insights into microstructural control and to advance the understanding of the process-structure-properties relationship in inoculated high-strength Al alloys manufactured via AM, thereby facilitating future developments in this innovative research area.

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增材制造孕育高强铝合金的显微组织控制：最新进展

高强度铝合金由于柱状晶粒生长广泛，凝固范围大，容易产生热裂缺陷。最近的研究表明，接种处理通过促进等轴晶的形成来解决高强度铝合金的不可打印性是有效的。从那时起，在控制这些合金的显微组织和改善其力学性能方面取得了重大进展。本文介绍了通过两种主要的增材制造（AM）技术：粉末床熔合（PBF）和定向能沉积（DED）制造的接种高强度铝合金的最新研究。在现有理论的基础上，讨论了不同孕育剂和合金元素在晶粒细化中的作用。研究了控制这些接种高强铝合金微观组织的新工艺策略。本文综述了增材制造高强铝合金的晶粒细化取决于多种因素，包括孕育剂的选择、孕育技术、溶质元素和工艺策略。目前的研究主要集中在改变合金成分上，本文强调了凝固过程控制在调节晶粒组织中的关键作用。本文还回顾了为预测这些合金的晶粒结构而专门开发的有助于工艺优化的数值模拟。随后讨论了接种处理对力学性能的影响。文章最后概述了主要发现并提出了未来的展望。本文综述的目的是提供微观组织控制的全面见解，并促进对通过增材制造的接种高强度铝合金的工艺-结构-性能关系的理解，从而促进这一创新研究领域的未来发展。

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来源期刊

Progress in Materials Science 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

59.60

自引率

0.80%

发文量

101

审稿时长

11.4 months

期刊介绍： Progress in Materials Science is a journal that publishes authoritative and critical reviews of recent advances in the science of materials. The focus of the journal is on the fundamental aspects of materials science, particularly those concerning microstructure and nanostructure and their relationship to properties. Emphasis is also placed on the thermodynamics, kinetics, mechanisms, and modeling of processes within materials, as well as the understanding of material properties in engineering and other applications. The journal welcomes reviews from authors who are active leaders in the field of materials science and have a strong scientific track record. Materials of interest include metallic, ceramic, polymeric, biological, medical, and composite materials in all forms. Manuscripts submitted to Progress in Materials Science are generally longer than those found in other research journals. While the focus is on invited reviews, interested authors may submit a proposal for consideration. Non-invited manuscripts are required to be preceded by the submission of a proposal. Authors publishing in Progress in Materials Science have the option to publish their research via subscription or open access. Open access publication requires the author or research funder to meet a publication fee (APC). Abstracting and indexing services for Progress in Materials Science include Current Contents, Science Citation Index Expanded, Materials Science Citation Index, Chemical Abstracts, Engineering Index, INSPEC, and Scopus.