| dc.description.abstract | Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing technique to produce complex three-dimensional parts through solidifying successive layers of powder materials on top of each other, from the bottom to top. The powder base nature allows the SLM to process a wide variety of materials and their mixtures and fabricate advanced and complicated composite parts. However, the SLM is a newly established process and seeks detailed scientific studies to develop new materials systems for the consumption of industry. These scientific studies are particularly important because of many issues associated with the SLM process, such as porosity, balling, delamination, thermal stress, etc, which can be varied from one material system to another.
This PhD project aims to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms governing the microstructure and mechanical properties of the metallic and in-situ Al matrix composite parts made by SLM. The research starts with a preliminary study on SLM of stainless steel in order to explore the usage of SLM machine and related parameters. It illustrates the effect of part layout on the quality of products.
The main research focuses on the in-situ formation of particulate reinforced Al matrix by using SLM of Al/Fe2O3 powder mixture. It is a pioneering research to integrate in-situ interaction with laser melting to produce advanced Al composites. It investigates the mechanisms governing SLM assisted in-situ reaction and also the effects of various parameters such as SLM layer thickness, laser power and scanning speed as well as the proportion of Fe2O3. It examines the influence of Al alloy powder and it describes the effect of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) post-treatment. The physical, mechanical, and metallurgical properties of the products are extensively assessed using various techniques. The processing windows of the process are sketched. The findings demonstrate unique microstructural features due to combined in-situ reaction and laser rapid consolidation, and contribute to provision of an in-depth scientific understanding of novel Al matrix composites by using SLM assisted in-situ processes.
As part of this PhD project, industrial collaborative research has also been conducted to characterise the surface finish, metallurgical quality, process accuracy and mechanical properties of various SLM made metallic parts using Al, Ti, stainless steel, and super alloys. This part of research has generated scientific data and results for industrial applications of metallic fabrication using SLM. | en_GB |
