Additive manufacturing of nano-oxide decorated AlSi10Mg composites: A comparative study on Gd2O3 and Er2O3 additions

AlSi10Mg-based nanocomposites were fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing with the addition of 1 wt% Gd2O3 and Er2O3 nanoparticles. The effect of different process parameters and supplementary remelting on the densification of the samples was evaluated. Results showed that remelting the printed layers could improve the densification. According to the microstructural observations, stacking the nanoparticles on uneven surfaces of irregular AlSi10Mg particles beside van der Waals's attractive force between the adjacent particles eventually forms coarsened clusters in printed samples. The XRD patterns disclosed the partial reaction between the nano-oxides and the aluminum matrix and the formation of some interfacial intermetallic layers, which were also validated by SEM characterization. The measurement of grain size and microhardness implied that the addition of Er2O3 played a more effective role in grain refinement and enhanced the hardness more uniformly compared to Gd2O3. Overall, the acquired average hardness for both nano-oxide reinforced specimens was greater than the reported values for LPBF-fabricated AlSi10Mg-matrix composites in the past. EBSD analyses revealed that due to the pinning effect of the nanoparticles, particle-rich zones demonstrated higher KAM and grain orientation spread (GOS) values which were attributed to the formation of more GNDs at the matrix/ particles interfaces.

Automated summary

AlSi10Mg-based nanocomposites with the addition of 1 wt% Gd2O3 and Er2O3 nanoparticles were successfully fabricated using LPBF additive manufacturing. Remelting the printed layers was found to improve the densification of the samples. The microstructural observations and XRD patterns confirmed the formation of coarsened clusters and interfacial intermetallic layers between the nanoparticles and the aluminum matrix. Measurement results of grain size and microhardness showed that the addition of Er2O3 played a more effective role in grain refinement and hardness enhancement compared to Gd2O3.