Mechanical, tribology properties and processability of Cu10Sn alloy in Selective laser melting under different powder parameters

In Selective Laser Melting (SLM), the formability challenges posed by the high laser reflectivity and thermal conductivity of Cu10Sn alloy have become a significant bottleneck, limiting its potential for advanced applications. Current research predominantly focuses on optimizing laser processing parameters. However, the powder parameters are equally crucial to the forming quality and mechanical properties of the parts. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of powder parameters (average particle size, particle size distribution, and powder layer thickness) on the relative density and hardness of the sample. The results show that the variation in sample properties is mainly dominated by the effect of powder parameters on particle stacking characteristics. Specifically, the average particle size (D 50 ) and particle size distribution Span can significantly increase the packing density of the powder layer. Reducing the powder layer thickness helps to exclude large-sized particles from the layer. Under specific powder parameter combinations, the laser absorption ability and melting properties of the powder layer are improved. The optimum relative density of the sample can reach 99.97 %, with a maximum microhardness of 181.10 HV in the X-Z plane (vertical section) and 168.04 HV in the X–Y plane (horizontal section). Additionally, effects of surface porosity and hardness on tribological properties of samples were investigated. The results show that higher surface porosity and lower hardness contribute to the wear resistance of Cu10Sn alloy samples.