Synthesis of Shape Memory Composites by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Editorial Board PCSS Journal; Yulia Nykyruy; Stepan Mudry; Yuriy Kulyk; Nazar Popilovskyi; Ihor Shtablavyi

doi:10.15330/pcss.27.3.532-541

Authors

Yulia Nykyruy Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Stepan Mudry Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Yuriy Kulyk Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Nazar Popilovskyi Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Ihor Shtablavyi Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15330/pcss.27.3.532-541

Keywords:

Cu-Al-Ni alloy, shape memory alloy, additive manufacturing, selective laser melting, laser powder bed fusion, microstructure, microhardness, functional gradient structure

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of atmosphere conditions and laser processing parameters on the microstructure and phase evolution of Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys synthesized via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The experimental results demonstrated that applying a vacuum of 10^-2 Pa significantly improved consolidation, avoiding oxide formation compared to atmospheric synthesis. Through a multi-stage thermal strategy, including pre-heating and remelting, we achieved a refined microstructure characterized by austenitic phase with embedded martensitic lamellae. XRD and SEM analyses revealed a heterogeneous microstructure, confirming effective in-situ alloying. Mechanical characterization via local microhardness testing highlighted significant variance in hardness, attributed to the interaction between the ductile copper matrix and harder intermetallic phases. Furthermore, molecular dynamics modelling was employed to correlate the observed structural features with the mechanical response of the material. These findings provide critical insights into optimizing LPBF parameters for producing high-performance Cu-Al-Ni components with tuneable functional properties.

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