Reactive selective laser melting of silicon carbide

Abstract

Additive manufacturing of silicon carbide (SiC) is challenging due to uncontrollable quality, surface roughness of fabricated parts, expensive post-processing, and long production times for customized components. Developing cost-effective, rapid manufacturing techniques that maintain high quality and design freedom is therefore highly desirable. In this study, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) followed by ultra-fast post heat treatment was applied to produce SiC-based composites using silicon and carbon powders as raw materials. The influence of processing parameters on silicon-carbon reaction and sintering was investigated. Boron carbide was used as an additive to enhance sintering. Substantial SiC formation occurred despite the limited heating time. Boron carbide influenced both SiC formation and grain growth. The maximum Vickers hardness (1218 HV0.2) was achieved in boron carbide-containing heat-treated samples printed at a laser power of 48 W. This novel approach enables the efficient fabrication of SiC-based composites with enhanced hardness, underscoring the potential of LPBF for cost-effective and customizable ceramic component manufacturing.

Keywords

Laser powder bed fusion / Selective laser melting / Silicon carbide / Ultra-fast heating / High-speed temperature scanner / Reactive sintering

Funding

This work was supported by the Higher Education and Science Committee of MESCS RA under grant numbers 22AA-2F022 and 22IRF-05.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare they have no competing interests.

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