rate. With the help of SLM stimulated in situ reac-
tion, nano-size/ultrafine particles can also be formed
and uniformly placed in Al matrix. These fine parti-
cles are from oxides and intermetallics and expected
to improve mechanical performance.
The Fe
2
O
3
additive possesses a critical role to
expand the processing windows and to stabilise the
laser production of Al-MMC parts. The released
energy is proportional to Fe
2
O
3
content which changes
the consolidation behaviour. Despite the improvement
of hardness in higher Fe
2
O
3
contents, it may restrict
the fluidity due to numerous inclusions and suppress
the fusion due to excessively thick oxide films. In such
cases, HIP post-treatment might not be successful to
achieve a consistent solid matrix. In addition to ...