Investigation of copper alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have been developing rapidly over the years. One of the AM methods is Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), which is widely used due to its high accuracy. It uses a laser source to melt metallic powder neatly in layers and can produce complex geometries.

Cu-Cr-Zr exhibits high thermal and electrical conductivity which have components from aerospace to nuclear industries. However, a research gap exists regarding the microstructural and mechanical properties of Cu-Cr-Zr fabricated by LPBF.

In this report, microstructural analysis and mechanical tests were conducted, including an investigation into the effects of heat treatment on Cu-Cr-Zr. Microstructural analysis was done using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope on as-fabricated and heat-treated Cu-Cr-Zr specimens. Fractography analysis reveals that the precipitates of the heat-treated samples.

Additionally, mechanical tests such as tensile tests, Vickers hardness tests, and nanoindentation were done to characterize the mechanical properties of Cu-Cr-Zr heat treated at different temperatures. The investigation indicates that the aging treatment of 480 ℃ for four hours is the most optimal to yield the highest ultimate tensile strength of 492.95 MPa for Cu-Cr-Zr printed by LPBF. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanical behavior of Cu-Cr-Zr.