Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Additive manufacturing (AM) is a relatively new manufacturing technique that has gained significant industrial interest. AM is a layer-by-layer build-up process for near-net shape components using metals and alloys, directly following instructions from a computer-aided design (CAD) model. Many high-performance alloys are not ideally suited to AM due to its repeated rapid melting and solidification steps. To overcome the performance limitations and to take advantage of the alloy design opportunities provided by AM technology, a new generation of alloys suitable for AM is needed. In addition to this, optimising process parameters and microstructure evolution during AM can lead to improved mechanical, corrosion, fatigue, irradiation, and wear properties, amongst other benefits. Only a few traditional alloys available in powder form are suitable for AM. As a result, developing alloys that are specifically designed for metal AM is a crucial step to its advancement. AM alloys can be divided into five groups: steels, titanium, nickel, aluminium, and high-entropy alloys. Even though some alloys can be printed successfully, there is still a wide range of possible mechanical properties resulting from the application of AM processing parameters, demanding the need for alloy and process optimisation to maximise their properties. A set of physical and thermodynamic properties, such as microsegregation, solidification temperature range, and weldability must be optimised in order to fabricate an alloy using AM. Therefore, not all alloys suitable for wrought processing can be successfully produced through AM. This book overviews the opportunities for alloy and microstructure design for powder-based AM techniques.</jats:p>