Aluminum Metal Powders
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m4p™ AlSi10Mg
m4p™ AlSi10Mg is an aluminum-based alloy with good weldability due to the Si and Mg content. In the regular casting process the alloy is characterized by its excellent casting properties and enables the production of thin-walled components with good strength properties.
Components made of m4p™ AlSi10Mg have good mechanical strength and can be subsequently machined.
T6 heat treatment cycle is applicable.
m4p ™ AlSi9Cu3
m4p ™ AlSi9Cu3 is an aluminum alloy with a favorable combination of high thermal conductivity and good strength and corrosion properties. Due to the high copper content, the material also has a good strength level at elevated temperatures. In addition to the copper content, silicon (Si) and magnesium (Mg) also affect the strength properties of the alloy.
Silicon increases the strength level of the material in general and magnesium allows the hardening through heat treatment. Described material properties predestine the material for applications in engine and transmission construction.
m4p™ AlSi7Mg
m4p™ AlSi7Mg is a versatile universal alloy with good mechanical properties and a high level of corrosion resistance. Due to the high silicon content, the alloy shows a low tendency to hot cracks and can be processed excellently additively across all powder bed-based AM systems. With magnesium as a component of the alloy, the material is suitable for precipitation hardening so that the heat treatment process „T6“ typical of aluminum can be employed. The ductility, in particular, can thus be subsequently
improved and process-specific anisotropies can be reduced.
The characteristic density of m4p™ AlSi7Mg is approx. 2.68g /cm³, which in combination with tensile strengths of approx. 350N/mm² facilitates structural lightweight applications in aerospace, automotive engineering, the food industry, or the production of prototypes. Compared to the m4p™ AlSi10Mg, the strength values are somewhat reduced. However, the electrical and thermal conductivity are a bit higher and also suitable for black anodizing for technical purposes. m4p™ AlSi7Mg is comparable to the material A357.0 of the American standardization (ANSI).
m4p™ PureAl
m4p™ PureAl is an unalloyed aluminum powder of high purity, allowing the excellent properties of pure aluminum to be utilized in additive manufacturing. Functional components and prototypes made of m4p™ PureAl are used in various industries, from the chemical industry and mechanical engineering to aerospace. A fundamental property that often takes precedence in industrial applications is the low mass density of aluminum. At approximately 2.7 g/cm³, aluminum is one of the lightest industrial metals, facilitating lightweight construction applications. While pure aluminum (m4p™ PureAl) may be less suitable where strength is required, its high ductility is impressive and crucial for many applications.
The high values for electrical and thermal conductivity are the main reasons why m4p™ PureAl is used in additive manufacturing. Despite these high values, the powder can be processed additively without additional measures, which is not possible with pure copper. Additionally, components made of pure aluminum are common in everyday life due to its health safety and high corrosion resistance (such as in food packaging). The good anodizability of additively manufactured parts made of m4p™ PureAl completes the property profile, enabling subsequent optical upgrades to decorative elements in everyday life.
m4p™ StrengthAl
m4p™ StrengthAl is a high-performance aluminum alloy designed for maximum strength. Additively manufactured components made of m4p™ StrengthAl achieve exceptionally high specific strength, comparable to titanium materials. The sophisticated metallurgy of this aluminum alloy, combined with an elaborate melt treatment, results in a metal powder developed for high-performance applications in motorsport and aviation.
m4p™ StrengthAl is characterized by its highest achievable yield strength, which can be set almost twice as high as the common aluminum alloy AlSi10Mg. This makes it particularly important for lightweight construction, allowing for weight-optimized applications in general mechanical engineering and sports to be realized with m4p™ StrengthAl. In its as-built state, medium strengths with very good strain values are achieved. To attain the highest possible strength, a heat treatment is required, which slightly reduces the material’s formability. This heat treatment phase is a precipitation process that requires an aging cycle at elevated temperatures.
For decorative surface effects on additively manufactured components made of m4p™ StrengthAl, an anodizing process can be added.