Al–Al(3)Ni In Situ Composite Formation by Wire-Feed Electron-Beam Additive Manufacturing

The regularities of microstructure formation in samples of multiphase composites obtained by additive electron beam manufacturing on the basis of aluminum alloy ER4043 and nickel superalloy Udimet-500 have been studied. The results of the structure study show that a multicomponent structure is formed in the samples with the presence of Cr(23)C(6) carbides, solid solutions based on aluminum -Al or silicon -Si, eutectics along the boundaries of dendrites, intermetallic phases Al(3)Ni, AlNi(3), Al(7)5Co(22)Ni(3), and Al(5)Co, as well as carbides of complex composition AlCCr, Al(8)SiC(7), of a different morphology. The formation of a number of intermetallic phases present in local areas of the samples was also distinguished. A large amount of solid phases leads to the formation of a material with high hardness and low ductility. The fracture of composite specimens under tension and compression is brittle, without revealing the stage of plastic flow. Tensile strength values are significantly reduced from the initial 142–164 MPa to 55–123 MPa. In compression, the tensile strength values increase to 490–570 MPa and 905–1200 MPa with the introduction of 5% and 10% nickel superalloy, respectively. An increase in the hardness and compressive strength of the surface layers results in an increase in the wear resistance of the specimens and a decrease in the coefficient of friction.