Feedstocks for additive manufacturing, and methods of using the same

Abstract

Some variations provide a method of making an additively manufactured metal component, comprising: providing a feedstock that includes a high-vapor-pressure metal; exposing a first amount of the feedstock to an energy source for melting; and solidifying the melt layer, thereby generating a solid layer of an additively manufactured metal component. The metal-containing feedstock is enriched with a higher concentration of the high-vapor-pressure metal compared to its concentration in the additively manufactured metal component. The high-vapor-pressure metal may be selected from Mg, Zn, Li, Al, Cd, Hg, K, Na, Rb, Cs, Mn, Be, Ca, Sr, or Ba, for example. Additively manufactured metal components are provided. Metal-containing feedstocks for additive manufacturing are also disclosed, wherein concentration of at least one high-vapor-pressure metal in the feedstock is selected based on a desired concentration of the high-vapor-pressure metal in an additively manufactured metal component derived from the metal-containing feedstock. Various feedstock compositions are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy having a composition comprising:
 zinc;   magnesium;   optionally copper;   optionally zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium; and   balance aluminum.   
     
     
         2 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:
 about 6.7 wt % to about 20 wt % zinc;   about 2.7 wt % to about 10 wt % magnesium;   about 1 wt % to about 2.6 wt % copper;   about 0 wt % to about 2 wt % zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total; and   balance aluminum.   
     
     
         3 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 8 wt % to about 13 wt % zinc. 
     
     
         4 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 11 wt % to about 13 wt % zinc. 
     
     
         5 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 8 wt % to about 10 wt % zinc. 
     
     
         6 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 2 wt % to about 5 wt % magnesium. 
     
     
         7 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 3 wt % to about 4 wt % magnesium. 
     
     
         8 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 1 wt % to about 3 wt % magnesium. 
     
     
         9 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 0 wt % to about 1 wt % copper. 
     
     
         10 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 0 wt % to about 0.5 wt % copper. 
     
     
         11 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 0.5 wt % to about 1 wt % copper. 
     
     
         12 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 3 wt % to about 5 wt % copper. 
     
     
         13 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total. 
     
     
         14 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 13 , wherein said composition comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % zirconium, and wherein said composition optionally comprises about 0.05 wt % to about 0.28 wt % chromium. 
     
     
         15 . The precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises about 0 wt % to about 0.5 wt % zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total. 
     
     
         16 . A precipitation-hardened aluminum alloy having a composition comprising:
 zinc;   magnesium;   optionally copper;   optionally zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total; and   balance aluminum,   wherein said aluminum alloy includes an aluminum matrix and a fine dispersion of precipitates within said aluminum matrix, said fine dispersion of precipitates including one or more strengthening precipitate phases.   
     
     
         17 . The precipitation-hardened aluminum alloy of  claim 16 , wherein said composition comprises:
 about 6.7 wt % to about 20 wt % zinc;   about 2.7 wt % to about 10 wt % magnesium;   about 1 wt % to about 2.6 wt % copper;   about 0 wt % to about 2 wt % zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total; and   balance aluminum.   
     
     
         18 . The precipitation-hardened aluminum alloy of  claim 16 , wherein said composition comprises:
 about 8 wt % to about 13 wt % zinc;   about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % magnesium;   about 0 wt % to about 5 wt % copper;   about 0 wt % to about 2 wt % zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total; and   balance aluminum.   
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing an aluminum alloy article, said method comprising:
 providing a precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy having a composition that comprises zinc, magnesium, optionally copper, optionally zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total, and balance aluminum; and   building an aluminum alloy article from said precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy by way of additive manufacturing in which a sequential layering process of sequentially solidifying a plurality of melt layers is performed to fuse a plurality of layers of said precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy together.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of said layers has a thickness between about 10 μm to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said sequential layering process comprises:
 depositing a layer of powder of said precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy; and   exposing a portion of said layer of powder of said precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy to a concentrated energy beam to sinter or melt said portion of said layer so that, upon cooling, said portion of said layer of said powder of said precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy that is sintered or melted by said concentrated energy beam solidifies into a microlayer of said aluminum alloy article.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , said method further comprising heat treating said precipitation-hardenable aluminum alloy and/or said aluminum alloy article. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said composition comprises:
 about 6.7 wt % to about 20 wt % zinc;   about 2.7 wt % to about 10 wt % magnesium;   about 1 wt % to about 2.6 wt % copper;   about 0 wt % to about 2 wt % zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total; and   balance aluminum.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said composition comprises:
 about 8 wt % to about 13 wt % zinc;   about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % magnesium;   about 0 wt % to about 5 wt % copper;   about 0 wt % to about 2 wt % zirconium, chromium, or zirconium and chromium in total; and   balance aluminum.