| Abstract Scope |
To overcome well-known challenges associated with additive manufacturing of aluminum (i.e., high reflectivity, high thermal conductivity, large solidification range, and microstructurally induced anisotropy), a reactive additive manufacturing (RAM) technique has been recently developed to create a printable 6061 system. Unfortunately, characterization of this material, termed A6061-RAM2, remains limited. This study is the first to investigate material printability over a wide range of print parameters including laser velocity, laser power, and hatch spacing, as well as total volumetric energy density. This study is also the first to investigate tensile fatigue behavior of Al6061 printed via RAM. Our approach was to comprehensively investigate the material both before and after printing via optical microscopy, electron microscopy (EBSD, EDS), mechanical testing, density measurements, surface roughness, and fractography. Results show a relatively large processing window and promising fatigue behavior, although surface finish and print orientation effects are significant. |