Breakthrough in the development of new materials for 3D printing
In the Department of Metallic Materials at the Institute of Materials Engineering at the University of Kassel, the so-called "additive manufacturing", i.e. the 3D printing of metals, as well as the research of new materials are central research focuses. A major challenge in material development for 3D printing is to design the materials used for printing in such a way that they can meet the high demands of industry in terms of shape and reliability. In close collaboration with Prof. Dr. Olena Volkova from the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and Dr. Javad Mola, Head of Laboratory at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, the Kassel-based scientists have now succeeded in developing a new material design that is ideally suited to the requirements of 3D printing as part of a project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Components that can be produced with this material save resources and are therefore more sustainable than comparable components.
"The properties of the alloys can be precisely defined during the manufacturing process. In the group of so-called metastable, austenitic steels, we have varied the content of the alloying element nickel in such a way that we can specifically adjust the microstructure and its properties during the laser-based manufacturing process," says Julia Richter, who is actively involved in the project.
Prof. Dr. Ing. Niendorf, Head of the Department of Metallic Materials, adds: "With the current results, we have achieved another milestone towards sustainable and safe materials for additive manufacturing. The new alloys are not only damage-tolerant, they even make it possible to tackle the major problem of residual stress directly in the manufacturing process."
Residual stresses can build up within the material during various manufacturing processes, for example due to extreme temperature changes. They can cause considerable damage, including the complete destruction of a component. In the newly developed approach, this problem is solved directly by the precise chemical composition of the alloy.
Materials science is a central focus of research at the University of Kassel. With the new process, Professor Niendorf's working group has once again provided significant impetus in this field of research. The results obtained by the consortium are so significant that they have been published in the highly respected international journal Scientific Reports (Nature). The article can be found here: