Höganäs company Digital Metal has developed two new alloy powders for use in extreme environments.
The DM 247 and DM 625 grades can be used with the company’s binder jetting technology. While DM 247 is based on the non-weldable MAR M247 grade, which is widely used as material for turbine blades and in other applications with elevated temperatures, DM 625 is an Inconel 625-grade suitable for applications including marine, chemical processing equipment, nuclear industry and aerospace.
According to the company, the metal powders exhibit improved strength and corrosion resistance when subjected to high heat and stress, making them suitable for use in applications such as aerospace, automotive and chemical. However, so far it has been difficult to use non-weldable materials such as MAR M247 in 3D printing, where high solidification rates and thermal gradients are inherent. Digital Metal’s binder jetting process can reportedly help avoid most of these problems by printing in an ambient temperature without applying any heat, followed by a separate sintering step. During sintering, densification takes place without melting and with minimal thermal gradients during cooling from sintering temperature, the company says.
This story uses material from Digital Metal, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
