Developing Fused Deposition Modeling Additive Manufacturing Processing Strategies for Aluminum Alloy 7075: Sample Preparation and Metallographic Characterization |
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| Authors: | Huan Ding Congyuan Zeng Jonathan Raush Kasra Momeni Shengmin Guo |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; (H.D.); (C.Z.);2.Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70503, USA;3.Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA; |
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| Abstract: | Currently, no commercial aluminum 7000 series filaments are available for making aluminum parts using fused deposition modeling (FDM)-based additive manufacturing (AM). The key technical challenge associated with the FDM of aluminum alloy parts is consolidating the loosely packed alloy powders in the brown-body, separated by thin layers of surface oxides and polymer binders, into a dense structure. Classical pressing and sintering-based powder metallurgy (P/M) technologies are employed in this study to assist the development of FDM processing strategies for making strong Al7075 AM parts. Relevant FDM processing strategies, including green-body/brown-body formation and the sintering processes, are examined. The microstructures of the P/M-prepared, FDM-like Al7075 specimens are analyzed and compared with commercially available FDM 17-4 steel specimens. We explored the polymer removal and sintering strategies to minimize the pores of FDM-Al7075-sintered parts. Furthermore, the mechanisms that govern the sintering process are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | aluminum alloy 7075 powder metallurgy fused deposition modeling wet-mixing sintering |
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