Laser powder bed fusion of a superelastic Cu-Al-Mn shape memory alloy

Dense and crack-free specimens of the shape memory alloy (Cu716Al17Mn11.4)-Al-. (at.%) were produced via laser powder bed fusion across a wide range of process parameters. The microstructure, viz. grain size, can be directly tailoredwithin the process and with it the transformation temperatures (TTs) shifted to higher values by raising the energy input. The microstructure, and the superelastic behavior of additively manufactured samples were assessed by a detailed comparison with induction melted material. The precipitation of the a phase, which inhibit the martensitic transformation, were not observed in the additively manufactured samples owing to the high intrinsic cooling rates during the fabrication process. Fine columnar grains with a strong [001]-texture along the building direction lead to an enhanced yield strength compared to the coarse-grained cast samples. A maximum recoverable strain of 2.86% was observed after 5% compressive loading. The first results of our approach imply that laser powder bed fusion is a promising technique to directly produce individually designed Cu-Al-Mn shape memory parts with a pronounced superelasticity at room temperature. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

Dense and crack-free specimens of the shape memory alloy Cu716Al17Mn11.4 were successfully produced using laser powder bed fusion, with tailored microstructures leading to higher transformation temperatures and enhanced superelastic behavior.Precision parts with pronounced superelasticity can be directly fabricated using this promising technique.