Influence of TiC-Nanoparticles on the material properties of AlSi10Mg manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Additive manufacturing enables the production of complex lightweight components. However, the poor use of atomized metal powders poses a challenge in terms of ensuring flowability and new high-strength aluminum alloys are still lacking. Some investigations show that the mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg can be improved by adding TiC nanoparticles. This study aims to determine if the influence of small amounts of TiC additions, which are normally used to improve the flowability of fine powders, is also sufficient to improve the mechanical properties. It was found that the addition of 0.46 wt% TiC-Nanoparticles with a size of 50 nm led to a homogeneous grain size distribution and an increase of 16 % in yield strength, but a 32 % decrease in elongation compared to pure AlSi10Mg. Further, a strong median grain size reduction from 5.08 to 2.74 µm could be observed by adding 0.96 wt% of TiC-Nanoparticles.