New Technology for Additive Manufacturing of an Fe–Cu Composite Material

The possibilities of a new method for producing an Fe–Cu composite material based on an additive coaxial laser melting technology are investigated. Melting conditions, powders, and growing strategy are chosen. The microstructures of the following compositions were studied (%): 75Fe–25Cu, 50Fe–50Cu, and 25Fe–75Cu. The structure of these materials is found to be a copper matrix with uniformly distributed iron particles. No separation of the elements in the track volume is detected. There is no porosity. Electron microscopy has shown that the solubility of the elements in each other is minimal, no more than 2–3%. Samples up to 10 mm thick with a uniform iron distribution in the copper matrix volume are fabricated by superimposing tracks on each other in both horizontal and vertical directions. The possibility of producing a material by melting steel and bronze powders taken in the ratio 40% AISI316 and 60% BrKh0.8 without separation has been demonstrated.