Abstract
Additive manufacturing of metal exists at the convergence of a wide range of advanced technologies ranging from the design of computer solid models and computer-driven machines to high-energy beam processing of materials. Many technologists with diverse backgrounds are being drawn into additive manufacturing with little knowledge of or experience working with metals. This chapter provides a quick refresher of the building blocks of metal, its crystal or microstructure and the properties resulting from the chemistry of the specific metal alloy and the process used to form it into useful shapes. Simple examples are used to illustrate the wider range of forms and structures metal can take as a result of operations such as casting and rolling, then compared with metal processed by additive manufacturing methods. The non-metallurgist is introduced to less common forms of metal such as metal powders, wire, and electrodes as well as the microstructures formed by sintering and solidification. Less common materials such as composites, intermetallic , and metallic glasses are introduced as the potential use and application of these advanced materials is increasing as made possible by the adoption of additive manufacturing.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Materials Science and Technology Teacher’s Workshop metals module Web page, http://matse1.matse.illinois.edu/metals/metals.html, (accessed March 17, 2015).
- 2.
Andrew Zimmer Jones, “Definition of Plasma ”, http://physics.about.com/od/glossary/g/plasma.htm, (accessed March 8, 2015).
- 3.
Chem Teacher Web page, “Definition of Metallic Bonds ,” http://chemteacher.chemeddl.org/services/chemteacher/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36, (accessed March 8, 2015).
- 4.
Courtesy of IMOA, reproduced with permission.
- 5.
Source Materials Science and Engineering A 487 (2008) 152–161, Effect of various heat treatment conditions on microstructure of cast polycrystalline IN738LC alloy N. El-Bagoury, M. Waly, A. Nofal. Reproduced with permission.
- 6.
Courtesy of IMOA, reproduced with permission.
- 7.
Engineering Toolbox Web page, “Melting and Boiling Temperatures,” http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/melting-boiling-temperatures-d_392.html, (accessed March 8, 2015).
- 8.
Archive of the Laboratory for Freeform Fabrication and the University of Texas Austin, http://sffsymposium.engr.utexas.edu/archive, (accessed March 15, 2015).
- 9.
©EPMA—www.epma.com, reproduced with permission.
- 10.
Source Ben Vandenbroucke, Jean-Pierre Kruth, “Selective Laser Melting of Biocompatible Metals for Rapid Manufacturing of Medical Parts,” SFF Symposium Proceedings, D.L. Bourell, et al., eds., Austin TX (2006) pp. 148–159. Reproduced with permission.
- 11.
Courtesy of Christophe Dang Ngoc Chan under CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Structure_cristalline_lingot.svg.
- 12.
Source Benjamin A. Fulcher, David K. Leigh, Trevor J. Watt, “Comparison OF ALSI10MG and AL 6061 Processed Through DMLS ,” SFF Symposium Proceedings, D.L. Bourell et al., eds., Austin TX (2014) pp. 404–419. Reproduced with permission.
- 13.
Courtesy of SLM Solutions N.A. Inc., reproduced with permission.
- 14.
The Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization handbook, http://projects.battelle.org/mmpds/, (accessed April 10, 2015).
- 15.
HC Starck Web site for refractory materials, http://www.hcstarck.com/additive_manufacturing_w_mo_ta_nb_re/, (accessed March 21, 2015).
- 16.
Source Effects of annealingannealing on high velocity compaction behavior and mechanical properties of iron-base PM alloy, Hongzhou Zhang, Lin Zhang, Guoqiang Dong, Zhiwei Liu, Mingli Qin, Xuanhui Qu, Yuanzhi Lü, Powder Technology 288, (2016), 435–440, DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2015.10.040. Reproduced with permission.
- 17.
Source Introduction to the Additive Manufacturing Powder Metallurgy Supply Chain, Johnson Matthey Technol. Rev., 2015, 59, (3), 243. Reproduced with permission.
- 18.
Introduction to the Additive Manufacturing Powder Metallurgy Supply Chain, Jason Dawes, Robert Bowerman and Ross Trepleton, Johnson Matthey Technol. Rev., 2015, 59, (3), 243, http://www.technology.matthey.com/article/59/3/243-256, (accessed April 19, 2016).
- 19.
LPW Technology provides a Web link to technical information of powder production with good graphics illustrating each process, http://www.lpwtechnology.com/technical-information/powder-production/, (accessed March 13, 2015).
- 20.
Courtesy of LPW Technology, reproduced with permission.
- 21.
Courtesy of AP&C Advanced Powders and Coatings, reproduced with permission.
- 22.
Courtesy of AP&C Advanced Powders and Coatings, reproduced with permission.
- 23.
April L. Cooke; John A. Slotwinski; Properties of Metal Powders for Additive Manufacturing : A Review of the State of the Art of Metal Powder Property Testing, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) 7873, http://www.nist.gov/manuscript-publication-search.cfm?pub_id=911339, (accessed March 13, 2015).
- 24.
One such example is provided by the company Metalysis, Rotherham UK is working with Sheffield Mercury Center is developing a cheaper way to create titanium powder using electrolysis rather than the Kroll Process promising 75% cheaper AM titanium and tantalum powders., http://www.metalysis.com/, (accessed March, 13, 2015).
- 25.
Boyer and Gall (1985, pp. 31–34).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Milewski, J.O. (2017). Understanding Metal for Additive Manufacturing. In: Additive Manufacturing of Metals. Springer Series in Materials Science, vol 258. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58205-4_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58205-4_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-58204-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-58205-4
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)