Supervisors: Prof. Mark Easton (RMIT) and Dr. Jordi Pijuan (EUT) and Lecturer Prof. Maria Niubo (UPC)
Project 1: Advanced Recyclable Aluminium Alloys for Additive Manufacturing
The focus of this project is on the development of novel Al-based alloys for powder based additive manufacturing. Investigate the processing and properties of high performance alumininum-based alloys with higher impurity contents that can be obtained from recycled feedstock. Previous work in casting has shown that some impurity elements such as Fe (and Ni) can reduce the prevalence of hot tearing during solidification. These elements can deteriorate some of the properties in conventional manufacturing but the near rapid solidification in additive manufacturing leading to a refined microstructure appears to mitigate these problems.
Project 2: Aluminium alloy powders with tailored chemical composition for Additive Manufacturing
Metal additive manufacturing technologies need to heat up the melt pool to temperature values that are often higher than the evaporation temperature of some alloying elements, as Mg and Zn, which are common in Al alloys. This changes in alloying elements composition affects in the final microstructure have an impact on the mechanical properties of the material. The aim of this project is to develop metal powders with tailored chemical composition and investigate additive manufacturing process parameters to obtain the required chemical composition of the final part.
Project 3: Atomization of Aluminium Alloy Powders forAdditive Manufacturing
In metal additive manufacturing, high quality metal powders are required to obtain final parts with no defects. Metal powder feedstock properties, as particle size distribution, powder morphology, entrapped gas in metal powder or impurities affects at the additive manufacturing process and the resulting final part. The aim of this project is to investigate metal powder atomization process parameters and develop new atomization strategies for aluminium alloys powders to fulfil the high quality standards of additive manufacturing.
