A Novel preparation approach of aluminum-based functionally graded material: Auxiliary wire filling gas metal arc directed energy deposition

The 2319–1100 aluminum-based functionally graded material (FGM) with continuous gradient transition interface was fabricated by auxiliary wire filling gas metal arc directed energy deposition (AWF-GMA-DED) process via changing the feeding speed of the auxiliary wire ER1100. The droplet transfer behavior, deposition morphology, microstructure and mechanical property of the FGM wall were analyzed. Results indicate that with increasing feeding speed of ER1100, the droplet transfer mode of the auxiliary wire changes in the manner of large droplet transfer—bridge transfer—continuous transfer, while the droplet transfer of the main wire ER2319 is always stable. As the filling ratio of ER1100 increases, the area of interlayer equiaxed grain band and equiaxed grain size increases gradually, the continuity of eutectic structure at the grain boundary is weakened, and the eutectic structure is refined. When the ER1100 filling ratio increases from 10 % to 35 %, the microhardness decreases by 13.4 %, the tensile strength 7.8 %, whereas the elongation and corrosion resistance of the FGM part both improve.