Manufacturing, characterization, and data-driven modeling of process-induced properties of additively manufactured metal/metal hybrid composites

• Applicants: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Katrin Schulz; Professor Dr.-Ing. Kay A. Weidenmann
• Subject Area: Mechanical Properties of Metallic Materials and their Microstructural Origins ; Materials in Sintering Processes and Generative Manufacturing Processes
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 551726051

Additive manufacturing has been intensively researched in recent years, both in terms of the materials that can be used and the possible process designs. Nevertheless, the range of materials is still limited today, especially with regard to the simultaneous use of multiple materials in 3D printing (multi-material design). All processes that use the molten phase are also dependent on the metallurgical compatibility of the constituents. Only fused filament fabrication (FFF) has already shown the potential in the field of plastics but also ceramics to also realize three-dimensional interpenetration structures from at least two different materials. Now that filaments have also been developed for metallic 3D printing, it is obvious to transfer the FFF technology to the representation of metal/metal hybrid composites as well, thereby circumventing the disadvantages of other additive manufacturing processes that are more common in the metal sector. This approach is the basis of this research project. Since in additively manufactured hybrids, such as interpenetrating composites, the process-structure-property relationships are not only significantly determined by the spatial arrangement of the constituents, but can also be controlled within a broad parameter field, homogeneity, anisotropy and gradation can be set arbitrarily within the process limits and thus the resulting structural properties or functional properties of the composite can be optimized in a targeted manner. This optimization is addressed within the project via a modeling database, which, through the use of FFT-based simulation approaches, allows numerous composite parameters to be varied computationally at low cost in order to ultimately arrive at an optimized microstructure or composite properties, which are determined within the project through the use of suitable characterization methods, which also includes the elucidation of the damage mechanisms that occur.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr.-Ing. Joel Schukraft