Missions

Many existing alloys are not yet optimized for additive manufacturing (AM) processing routes. The case of Al alloys is particularly striking. Indeed, alloys inherited from casting or forging are relatively easy to process by additive manufacturing but suffer from limited mechanical properties. On the contrary, precipitation-strengthened Al-alloys from the 2XXX, 6XXX, and 7XXX series provide high strength but are hardly processable due to their high susceptibility to hot cracking. Thus, there is currently an increasing research activity worldwide to design new Al alloys suitable for 3D printing. However, the definition of new Al alloy compositions results mostly from a trial-and-error methodology that is time-consuming and does not allow the investigations of large compositional space.

The objective of this project is to use combinatorial metallurgy to speed up the exploration of large compositional space to design new Aluminium alloys for 3D printing.

Activités

Research Program
(1) Making AM processes suitable for exploring large compositional spaces.

(2) Screening of large spectra of compositions in binary systems (Al-Zr, Al-Mn) and ultimately in the ternary system (Al-Mn-Zr). Identification of the most promising candidates.

(3) Multi-scale microstructural and mechanical characterization of the most promising candidates.

Compétences

The candidate must have a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering. An experience in the field of additive manufacturing would definitely be a strength. The post-doctoral fellow has skills in microstructural (SEM, EBSD, TEM, XRD, or X-ray tomography) and mechanical characterization (hardness, nanoindentation, and in situ mechanical testing). A solid background in physical metallurgy and structure-properties relationships is required. The candidate will have to take the initiative to develop new experimental procedures and carefully discuss the results. To be able to work as a team is crucial for this project.

Contexte de travail

The work will be performed at SIMaP, a laboratory located on the campus of Saint Martin D'Hères, Grenoble, France. SIMaP is a laboratory with strong expertise in the processing and characterization of metals and alloys.

Informations complémentaires

This work is financially supported by the ANR (French Agency for Research) in the framework of the PEPR DIADEME – Project DIAMS. The main objective of the DIAMS research program is to design using artificial intelligence and high-throughput data advanced alloys. Here, the idea is to take advantage of additive manufacturing processes to guide the design of new Al alloys for additive manufacturing.