Extreme conditions, including high temperature, great pressure, and intense corrosion during operation, are common for energy equipment. In the aircraft sector, for instance, engine components must resist the effects of high-temperature and high-pressure airflow; in the petrochemical sector, equipment must be exposed long-term to highly corrosive mediums. This calls for great strength and toughness of metal materials used in the manufacturing of energy equipment to resist different external forces without harm. At the same time, strong high-temperature resistance is required to ensure steady mechanical characteristics in high-temperature environments; additionally, corrosion resistance is essential to prevent material failure due to corrosion.
Often used in metal 3D printing, stainless steel has outstanding heat and corrosion resistance. For 3D printing, several varieties of stainless steel are available, including 316L stainless steel, which offers great strength at a low cost, making it an ideal choice. Energy equipment can produce stainless steel for parts that require strong corrosion resistance, such as valves in chemical equipment and pipelines. Its strong corrosion resistance helps to extend the service life of the equipment and effectively prevent medium-related corrosion.
Low density, a strong weight-to-ratio, and decent chemical and thermal resistance define aluminum alloy. Aluminum silicon 12 aluminum alloy, for instance, can be utilized in the aerospace sector to produce aerospace-quality prototypes and components as well as in thin-walled items such as heat exchangers or other automotive components. Aluminum alloy can be produced in energy equipment to create some weight-sensitive components, such as some shell components of aeronautical engines, which not only lower equipment weight but also satisfy some strength criteria.
High strength, low weight, heat resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance define titanium alloy. Widely employed in the aerospace sector, Ti-6Al-4V is the main 3D-printed titanium alloy used in the fabrication of products with very high h-to-weight ratio requirements. Titanium alloys are used in energy equipment to create parts needing outstanding strength and corrosion resistance, including important structural components in marine engineering, which can run stably for a long period in hostile marine settings.
Tensile, fatigue, and thermal fatigue resistance qualities of nickel-based alloys are outstanding. Inconel 738, for instance, may be subjected to long-term high-temperature corrosive conditions up to 920-980 ℃ and has good high-temperature creep fracture strength and thermal corrosion resistance. It is fit for parts like gas engines and aircraft engines. In energy equipment, nickel-based alloys can be used to make important components in high-temperature and high-pressure working environments, including some heat exchanger components in nuclear power plants, which can endure high temperatures and radiation tests.
High strength, outstanding corrosion resistance, superior biocompatibility, and non-magnetic qualities define cobalt chromium alloy. Engine components, the fashion and jewelry industries, and surgical implants, such as artificial joints, knee joints, and hip joints, predominantly use cobalt-chromium alloys. Cobalt-chromium alloys can also be employed as alternative materials in certain application scenarios of energy equipment, like components with particular needs for biocompatibility or corrosion resistance.
Based on the running conditions of the energy equipment, assess the mechanical characteristics, including hardness, toughness, and strength of materials. For components that endure significant impact loads, for instance, it is advisable to use materials with great toughness; for components that require great pressure, it is advisable to select materials with great strength. Compare the mechanical performance indicators of several materials to choose the one that most satisfies the needs for the usage in energy equipment.
Think on the chemical characteristics of materials used in the running environment of energy equipment, such as corrosion and oxidation resistance. Distinct energy equipment operates in somewhat distinct environments. For instance, aircraft equipment may encounter high-temperature oxidation situations, while chemical equipment may encounter corrosive media, including strong acids and alkalis. Thus, it is important to select materials with matching chemical stability to guarantee that, during operation, chemical corrosion or oxidation will not cause the equipment to fail.
It is advisable to use materials with greater surface quality after printing for various energy equipment components that have particular needs for surface quality, such as visual display portions or parts requiring exact synchronization with other components. Surface roughness and other features of several metal 3D printing materials vary after printing. By selecting suitable materials and adjusting the printing process parameters, we can produce parts that meet appearance criteria.
This includes factors such as material acquisition expenses, printing expenses, and subsequent processing expenses. Although some rare metal materials perform exceptionally well, their high costs could increase the manufacturing expenses of equipment. Therefore, it is advisable to use materials with fewer expenses as much as feasible to improve the economic efficiency of energy equipment even while fulfilling performance criteria.
Match current metal 3D printing equipment and technology and guarantee consistent availability of particular materials in the market. Should the material supply be erratic, manufacturing could be interrupted; should the material not fit the printing equipment, printing quality and production efficiency could suffer. Consequently, it is important to give great thought to the availability and fit of the chosen materials.
Various metal 3D printing techniques demand different materials. For instance, SLM methods and other powder bed melting techniques use lasers to progressively melt powder particles together and process layer by layer until the item is finished. Direct Energy Deposition (DED) techniques send metal wire or powder to a heat source for molten deposit. Considerations of melting point, flowability, and powder particle size distribution help one choose materials such that they will fit the chosen printing method. To guarantee the uniformity of powder spreading and printing quality for the powder bed melting process, for instance, it is imperative to choose metal powders with suitable particle size distribution and good flowability.
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