Simultaneously enhancing strength and ductility of selective laser melted AlSi10Mg via introducing in-cell Al4C3 nanorods

ABSTRACTSelective laser melted (SLMed) AlSi10Mg alloys usually fail before necking during tensile tests, which results in inadequate ductility. To overcome this problem, here we introduced Al4C3 nanorods into the primary Al cells of SLMed AlSi10Mg via in-situ chemical reaction. Tensile tests revealed that those in-cell Al4C3 nanorods not only increased the strain-hardening ability of SLMed AlSi10Mg but also delayed the fracture beyond necking. Consequently, 15% of tensile strength increase and 78% of ductility increase were achieved simultaneously. Post-tensile TEM analysis revealed that those in-cell Al4C3 nanorods pinned and accumulated dislocations within cells and thus alleviated stress concentration along cell boundaries.