3D printing of a copper/nickel multimaterial via directed energy deposition

Abstract

Copper and nickel alloys have excellent properties that are widely used in various industries like the marine and offshore, and aerospace industries. Their excellent properties such as high strength, thermal conductivity and fracture toughness makes them the top material choice for the industries. Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is one of the techniques of Additive Manufacturing (AM) that uses a focused energy source to melt and form a product. DED has the ability to minimise tooling parts and control the grain structure, making it the preferable choice in AM. This project report explores the operation of DED technique to 3D print a Cu-9Al-5Fe-5Ni (NAB) copper and IN 725 nickel alloys. The particle size of the powder alloys was studied using an Optical Microscopy (OM) to evaluate its particle shapes and proportions. The microstructure characterisation of the printed alloys was examined through Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for qualitative analysis of the alloys. Thereafter, hardness testing was done to printed alloys to analyse and evaluate the anisotropic properties. Through hardness tests, the resistance to permanent deformation and other properties such as wear resistance and ductility can be found. These results are then compared with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for certification and verified the capability of producing NAB and IN 725 alloys for use in the Marine and Offshore industry.