| Abstract Scope |
Ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) are attractive materials for high-value defense and commercial components, but fabrication with MMCs is presently difficult, costly, and limited to components with simple geometries. Additively manufacturing particulate MMCs with selective laser melting (SLM) would be an ideal method, but the laser consolidation of these materials has been largely unsuccessful in matching the properties of conventionally produced MMCs. The challenges include spreading the heterogeneous powder, distributing the ceramic particles, and forming a strong bond between the metal and the ceramic. Here, we use mechanical alloying to fabricate composite powders with morphology tuned for SLM process conditions. Using SLM, we achieve nearly fully dense consolidation of these powders and thereby demonstrate the potential for MMC feedstock powders to be produced with scalable, cost-effective methods. |