Additive Manufacturing of the novel high-temperature alloy VDM Powder 780 for space propulsion technologies

Kurzfassung

High-temperature alloys with suitable weldability are of great importance for numerous applications in space propulsion, aero-engines or the energy and chemical industries. Given the weldability, this opens up the possibility to employ additive manufacturing techniques such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), which in turn is of major interest when targeting aerospace. Especially space propulsion components tend to be very complex designs, which can be even further optimized for higher performance when the manufacturing freedom of AM can be exploited.

However, the high-temperature alloys currently available and qualified for AM are limited in terms of number and operational temperatures. Alloys with excellent performance at elevated temperatures are often characterized by very narrow and sensitive processing windows, if processable at all with LPBF, requiring experimental equipment that is not industrially suitable like, e.g., high temperature pre-heatings. Moreover, processing with AM often leads to materials that, e.g., in terms of grain structures, phases and properties differ strongly from what would ideally be desired.

This presentation will summarize our progress in the assessment and qualification of the nickel-base alloy VDM Powder 780 for AM and specifically LPBF. This material may allow up 100 °C higher permissible service temperatures than for instance the alloy Inconel 718 very common in AM, but at the same level of LPBF processability. Process optimization as well as materials characterization and development of tailored heat treatments will be summarized and selected use-cases for demonstration will be highlighted.