Use of Carbon Nanofibers in the Additive Manufacturing of Aluminum Matrix Composites

The possibility of using carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in the production of aluminum matrix composite (AMC) materials by selective laser melting (SLM) has been experimentally demonstrated. An AlSi10Mg-alloy-based powder composition with the addition of 0.5 wt % CNFs is prepared by mechanical activation. The optimum SLM parameters have been determined to achieve a synthesized AMC density of at least 99%. The preservation of CNFs in the structure of AMC and the formation of Al4C3 inclusions, which have a higher strength and hardness compared to the initial AlSi10Mg aluminum alloy, lead to hardening of the synthesized material, the microhardness of which is 149 ± 8 HV, which is 20% higher than the hardness of the AlSi10Mg alloy.