Advancements in iron aluminide alloy processing: A comparative study with DED alternatives
Gökhan Ertugrul, Aliakbar Emdadi, Sebastian Härtel
Abstract. This article investigates the processing and characterization of iron aluminide lightweight alloy by plasma ultrasonic atomization and laser powder based directed energy deposition (DED-LB/p) and its comparison with other additive manufacturing alternatives. DED-LB/p provides precisely controllable process parameters, a wide range of feed materials supplied in powder form, a relatively high deposition rate and low heat input. These features favor the DED – LB/p process for novel materials such as iron aluminide. Thanks to a combination of desirable properties such as low density, high specific strength, low material cost, excellent oxidation resistance, and corrosion resistance, Fe-Al has established considerable potential to replace high-alloy chromium steels and, in some cases, even superalloys in high-temperature applications. In this study, Fe-Al alloy was first atomized into powder form from a commercial rod with core of aluminum and sleeve of a commercial low alloy-steel by plasma ultrasonic atomization. The resulting powder was then used for additive manufacturing with DED-LB/p in order to reduce cost and analyze the process chain. The results show that the use of powder produced by plasma ultrasonic atomization from commercial raw materials in the DED-LB/p process provides an effective combination for additive manufacturing of Fe-Al alloy and has some advantages over the alternative WAAM method.
Keywords
Iron Aluminides, Fe-Al, Intermetallic, Powder, Atomizer, DED, LMD, WAAM
Published online 5/7/2025, 10 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Gökhan Ertugrul, Aliakbar Emdadi, Sebastian Härtel, Advancements in iron aluminide alloy processing: A comparative study with DED alternatives, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 54, pp 254-263, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903599-28
The article was published as article 28 of the book Material Forming
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] S. Dryepondt, P. Nandwana, P. Fernandez-Zelaia, and F. List, ‘Microstructure and high temperature tensile properties of 316L fabricated by laser powder-bed fusion’, Additive Manufacturing, vol. 37, p. 101723, Jan. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101723
[2] C. Mapelli et al., ‘Comparison of the combined oxidation and sulphidation behavior of nickel- and cobalt-based alloys at high temperature’, Journal of Materials Research and Technology, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 15679–15692, Nov. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2020.11.009
[3] M. Palm, F. Stein, and G. Dehm, ‘Iron Aluminides’, Annu. Rev. Mater. Res., vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 297–326, Jul. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-matsci-070218-125911
[4] H. Sina, J. Corneliusson, K. Turba, and S. Iyengar, ‘A study on the formation of iron aluminide (FeAl) from elemental powders’, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 636, pp. 261–269, Jul. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.02.132
[5] A. JEDYNAK, ‘Semi-finished powder of aluminum matrix composite for a direct energy deposition additive manufacturing’, pp. 199–206. https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644902479-22
[6] A. Emdadi, S. Bolz, J. Buhl, S. Weiß, and M. Bambach, ‘Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing of Fe3Al-1.5Ta Iron Aluminide with Strengthening Laves Phase’, Metals, vol. 12, no. 6, p. 997, Jun. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12060997
[7] B. Song, S. Dong, P. Coddet, H. Liao, and C. Coddet, ‘Fabrication and microstructure characterization of selective laser‐melted FeAl intermetallic parts’, Surface and Coatings Technology, vol. 206, no. 22, pp. 4704–4709, Jun. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2012.05.072
[8] L. Adler, Z. Fu, and C. Koerner, ‘Electron beam based additive manufacturing of Fe3Al based iron aluminides – Processing window, microstructure and properties’, Materials Science and Engineering: A, vol. 785, p. 139369, May 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2020.139369
[9] D. Svetlizky et al., ‘Laser-based directed energy deposition (DED-LB) of advanced materials’, Materials Science and Engineering: A, vol. 840, p. 142967, Apr. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2022.142967
[10] G. ERTUGRUL, ‘Machine learning application for optimization of laser directed energy deposition process for aerospace component rapid prototyping in additive manufacturing’, presented at the Material Forming: ESAFORM 2024, in Materials Research Proceedings. Materials Research Forum LLC, 2024, pp. 271–282. https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903131-31
[11] G. Ertugrul, A. Emdadi, A. Jedynak, S. Weiß, and S. Härtel, ‘Hot forming behavior of tungsten carbide reinforced Ni-Based superalloy 625 additively manufactured by laser directed energy deposition’, Additive Manufacturing Letters, vol. 13, p. 100267, Apr. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addlet.2025.100267
[12] P. K. Datta, J. S. Burnell‐Gray, and K. Natesan, ‘Coating Technology’, in Intermetallic Compounds ‐ Principles and Practice, 1st ed., J. H. Westbrook and R. L. Fleischer, Eds., Wiley, 2002, pp. 561–588. doi: 10.1002/0470845856.ch27
[13] G. Ertugrul, A. Hälsig, J. Hensel, J. Buhl, and S. Härtel, ‘Efficient Multi-Material and High Deposition Coating including Additive Manufacturing by Tandem Plasma Transferred Arc Welding for Functionally Graded Structures’, Metals, vol. 12, no. 8, p. 1336, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12081336
[14] K. Hoefer, A. Nitsche, K. G. Abstoss, G. Ertugrul, A. Haelsig, and P. Mayr, ‘Multi-material Additive Manufacturing by 3D Plasma Metal Deposition for Graded Structures of Super Duplex Alloy 1.4410 and the Austenitic Corrosion Resistant Alloy 1.4404’, JOM – Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, vol. 71, pp. 1554–1559, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-019-03356-4
[15] Schmidt Alexander, Emdadi, Aliakbar, and Härtel, Sebastian, ‘A holistic approach for near-net-shape processing of iron aluminides by means of Laser Directed Energy Deposition with cored wires’, Jul. 07, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.erasmuscorp.gr/IIW2024/ProceedingFiles/FP375.pdf
[16] R. Rauter, ‘Laserauftragschweißen von Wolframkarbidschichten in Nickelbasismatrizen zur Herstellung verschleißfester Beschichtungen von Warmformwerkzeugen’, TU Graz, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.3217/kj2vv-ynb02
[17] T. Durejko et al., ‘Structure and properties of the Fe3Al-type intermetallic alloy fabricated by laser engineered net shaping (LENS)’, Materials Science and Engineering: A, vol. 650, pp. 374–381, Jan. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2015.10.076
[18] G. Rolink, S. Vogt, L. Senčekova, A. Weisheit, R. Poprawe, and M. Palm, ‘Laser metal deposition and selective laser melting of Fe–28 at.% Al’, J. Mater. Res., vol. 29, no. 17, pp. 2036–2043, Sep. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.131
[19] T. Durejko, M. Ziętala, W. Polkowski, and T. Czujko, ‘Thin wall tubes with Fe3Al/SS316L graded structure obtained by using laser engineered net shaping technology’, Materials & Design, vol. 63, pp. 766–774, Nov. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2014.07.011
