Authors:
Simon Graham (The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom),
Alicia Patel (The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom),
William Stott (Aluminium Materials Technologies Ltd, United Kingdom),
Gavin Baxter (The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom),
Moritz Roscher (ECKART GmbH, Germany),
Martin Jackson (The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom)
Abstract:
Metal additive manufacturing techniques typically operate using powders with limited particle size ranges, but atomisation processes produce significant amounts of particles outside these ranges, resulting in an accumulation of out-of-size specification metal powders without a clear use case. Field assisted sintering technology (FAST) can provide an alternative, solid-state processing route to consolidate these powders into billets for subsequent processing, or directly into near-net shape components. In this study, surplus powders of A20X, an aerospace approved aluminium alloy developed by Aluminium Materials Technologies (ECKART GmbH), were processed using FAST and subsequently hot rolled to produce sheet material. Tensile properties were similar to hot rolled conventional cast material and comparable to additively manufactured product. This indicates that FAST is an effective option for processing surplus metal powders, whilst improving sustainability in the additive supply chain.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59499/WP225371766