Background
Ni-base superalloys have been defined by the EU commission as a group of material that have strategic importance for economic growth.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is widely believed to be able to revolutionize the manufacturing landscape, with its almost unlimited design flexibility.
However, Ni-base superalloys has proven very difficult to process by AM, without significant cracking issues. This is connected to the rapid melting/solidification nature of the AM process itself, as well as incompatibility of the Ni-base superalloys compositions for the AM process. Put simply, the materials have been developed for other metal forming techniques such as e.g. casting.
Hence, in order to assure successful introduction of new high-performance Ni-base superalloys into AM, tailoring of the alloy composition to suit the harsh conditions during additive manufacturing development is a must.
Today the number of materials available for AM is very limited and as a result AM is not utilized to its full potential but still rather restricted to a limited number of applications.
This project will address the methods needed for the development of new AM materials with tailored properties and more robust process characteristics. By building on existing knowledge, advanced material characterization techniques and thermodynamic modelling tools, a more rapid development of new AM materials can be expected.
Aim
This project aims to better understand and optimize the different steps in AM, to better suit fabrication of high temperature materials for demanding applications, such as turbine blades in gas turbines or jet engines.
The project will specifically work at developing a methodology for the robust alloy design to satisfy harsh manufacturing conditions during laser powder bed fusion processing and the following post-treatment utilizing advances in HIP technology.
Partners and funding
The work is carried out within the strategic innovation program Metallic Materials, a joint venture by Vinnova, Formas and the Swedish Energy Agency.
Other partners are:
- Chalmers University of Technology
- Siemens
- Höganäs
- Quintus Technologies
- EOS Electro Optical Systems
