Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.
On February 9th 2023, researchers at the Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) of Albuquerque, New Mexico unveiled a new 3D printed high-performance metal alloy, which Sandia boasted had an unusual composition that made it stronger and lighter than state of the art materials currently used in gas turbine machinery. (The alloys is 42% aluminium, 25% titanium, 13% niobium, 8% zirconium, 8% molybdenum and 4% tantalum.) Sandia argued that the team’s findings could have broad impacts across the energy, aerospace and automotive industry sectors, as well as hinting at the existence of a new class of similar undiscovered alloys. The team’s research was published in the journal Applied Materials Today.
Sandia argued that power plant efficiency is limited by how hot metal turbine parts can get, such that turbines operating at higher temperatures can convert more energy into electricity, while reducing the amount of waste heat released into the environment. The team found that their new superalloy was stronger at 800°C than many other high-performance alloys, including those currently used in turbine parts. In addition, it was still stronger when brought back down to room temperature.
However, Sandia scientist Andrew Kustas contended that it could be difficult to produce the alloy in large volumes without microscopic cracks, which is a general problem in 3D printing. He also argued that the alloy might not be suitable in consumer goods where keeping costs down is a primary concern, due to the cost of its constituent materials. For further work, the team intends to investigate the use of advanced computer modelling techniques in helping other researchers discover other similar 3D printable high-performance alloys.
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Disclaimer: Featured image of “Edison Electric Light Station, Holborn Viaduct, London” is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer.
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