Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) (2022) 35:389–396 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-021-01279-1 Selective Laser Melting of Al‑7Si‑0.5 Mg‑0.5Cu: Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure Evolution, Mechanical Properties and Wear Resistance Pei Wang 1  · Sijie Yu 1  · Jaskarn Shergill 2  · Anil Chaubey 3  · Jürgen Eckert 4,5,8  · Konda Gokuldoss Prashanth 4,6,7  · Sergio Scudino 2 Received: 21 March 2021 / Revised: 26 May 2021 / Accepted: 27 May 2021 / Published online: 15 July 2021 © The Chinese Society for Metals (CSM) and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021 Abstract Al-7Si-0.5 Mg-0.5Cu alloy specimens have been fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). In this study, the effects of solution treatment, quenching, and artificial aging on the microstructural evolution, as well as mechanical and wear proper- ties, have been investigated. The as-prepared samples show a heterogeneous cellular microstructure with two different cell sizes composed of α-Al and Si phases. After solution-treated and quenched (SQ) heat treatment, the cellular microstructure disappears, and coarse and lumpy Si phase precipitates and a rectangular Cu-rich phase were observed. Subsequent aging after solution-treated and quenched (SQA) heat treatment causes the formation of nanosized Cu-rich precipitates. The as- prepared SLMs sample has good mechanical properties and wear resistance (compressive yield strength: 215 ± 6 MPa and wear rate 2 × 10 –13 m 3 /m). The SQ samples with lumpy Si particles have the lowest strength of 167 ± 13 MPa and the highest wear rate of 6.18 × 10 –13 m 3 /m. The formation of nanosized Cu-rich precipitates in the SQA samples leads to the highest compressive yield strength of 233 ± 6 MPa and a good wear rate of 5.06 × 10 –13 m 3 /m. Keywords Selective laser melting · Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy · Heat treatment · Microstructure · Mechanical properties · Wear properties 1 Introduction Selective laser melting (SLM) is one of the additive manu- facturing technologies that work with the assistance of com- puter-aided designs (CAD), and it is widely used for the fabrication of metallic components [1]. SLM offers many advantages compared with conventional processes in terms of process flexibility, cost reduction, and energy-saving [2–4]. This has triggered the development of novel alloys that are specific for the SLM process to fabricate compo- nents with improved performance and functionalities. Due to the demand and widespread applications in the aerospace and automotive industries, Al-based alloys have become one of the most widely used classes of materials fabricated by SLM [5, 6]. With the rapid expansion of the market demand, Available online at http://link.springer.com/journal/40195 * Konda Gokuldoss Prashanth kgprashanth@gmail.com 1 Additive Manufacturing Institute, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China 2 Institute for Complex Materials, IFW Dresden, Helmholtzstraße 20, 01069 Dresden, Germany 3 Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneshwar 751013, Orissa, India 4 Erich Schmid Institute of Materials Science, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Jahnstraße 12, 8700 Leoben, Austria 5 Department of Materials Science, Chair of Materials Physics, Montanuniversität Leoben, Jahnstraße 12, 8700 Leoben, Austria 6 Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajete tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia 7 CBCMT, School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632 014, India 8 Adjunct With National University of Science and Technology «MISiS», Leninsky Prosp., 4, 119049 Moscow, Russia