From semisolid metal processing to thixotropic 3D printing of metallic alloys

ABSTRACT

Semisolid metal processing is a well-known technology that can be used to enhance manufacturing product quality in broad industries. The technology controls the thixotropic properties of alloys within their solidus and liquidus temperature ranges. In general, most known alloys can generate semisolid slurries at high solid fractions, and the remaining can form slurries at low solid fractions. This has provided opportunities for many metals and alloys to be processed as semisolid slurries in today’s casting industry. However, only a few researchers studied this technology potentially for a new metal-based additive manufacturing or 3D printing process. This article reviewed literature and findings from thixotropy rheology and semisolid metal processing methods, finally to thixotropic metal 3D printing. The survey shows that more future work is needed, including the investigation of thixotropic metal flow mechanics, the modelling and simulation of semisolid metal extrusion and further development of a fully thixotropic 3D printing system.

KEYWORDS:

• Thixotropic 3D printing
• Thixotropy
• Fused deposition modelling
• Semisolid metal

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge financial support from NSF under Grant No. 2027823 and No. 2027871.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yifan Fei

Yifan Fei received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA in 2015. He received an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 2017, then received his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 2021. His current research interests include 3D printing and 3D scanning, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, biodegradable alloys 3D printing, and additive manufacturing with thixotropic metallic material.

Jie Xu

Jie Xu received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Drexel university, Philadelphia, USA, in 2019. He currently is a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at Drexel university since 2019. He works in advanced manufacturing lab at Drexel university with Dr. Jack. G. Zhou since 2019. His current research interests include 3D printing with thixotropic metallic materials and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing.

Donggang Yao

Donggang Yao, Professor in School of Materials Sci. & Eng. at Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, received a BS degree in Precision Instruments from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China in 1991 and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, in 1998 and 2001. He teaches and directs research in the broad area of polymer engineering. His ongoing research deals with sustainable polymer/composites processing, additive manufacturing, constitutive modeling, and process modeling.

Jack Zhou

Professor Jack Zhou has been teaching and conducting basic and applied research in design and manufacturing, precision instrumentation and metrology for many years. His current research is in additive manufacturing and 3D printing, biomedical design and manufacturing, and tissue engineering. He invented several new rapid prototyping machines and technologies for microstructures, bone scaffolds and soft-tissue fabrications. Jack Zhou published more than 150 journal and peer reviewed conference papers, and 20 patents; and organized various conferences/symposiums nationally and internationally. He has received more than 36 grants from government, industry and research institutions, and advised more than 40 Ph.D. & Master students and post doctors. He is a fellow of ASME, and received many awards from various societies, organizations, and institutes. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Xi'an Jiaotong University, China and Ph.D. degree from NJIT, USA. Currently he teaches and directs researches in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA.