Eutectic aluminum alloys fabricated by additive manufacturing: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has progressed from prototyping to industrial production, opening new horizons for alloy design and performance enhancement, as its rapid-solidification characteristics expand the compositional space for novel alloys, and the resulting gains in physicochemical performance offer attractive solutions for high‑performance industrial applications. With the growing demand for high-strength aluminum (Al) alloys for aerospace and automotive applications, there is a dilemma of poor processability for conventional high-strength wrought Al-alloys by AM technologies. Eutectic microstructure provides both large-volume strengthening phases and better processability for rapid solidification. Recent research has shown that the eutectic Al alloys are suitable for AM to overcome metallurgical challenges and achieve printability-performance synergy. The eutectic theory and microstructure evolution, then static mechanical properties and long-term service behavior (creep, fatigue, and corrosion) at ambient and elevated temperatures, strengthening mechanisms, and thereafter tailored design strategies in AM fabricated Al alloys were elaborated. The review aims to provide fresh insights into the development of novel Al alloys and get attention from the AM community to meet the challenges of higher requirements of lightweight engineering materials.