Influence of TiC Particles on Microstructure and Corrosion Performance of Laser Powder Bed Fusion Al-Mg-Sc-Zr Alloy

doi:10.11902/1005.4537.2025.269

Journal of Chinese Society for Corrosion and protection

2026, Vol. 46

Issue (1): 92-102 DOI: 10.11902/1005.4537.2025.269

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Influence of TiC Particles on Microstructure and Corrosion Performance of Laser Powder Bed Fusion Al-Mg-Sc-Zr Alloy

ZHANG Zequn¹, LUO Xinjie¹, LIU Pengfei², DONG Kai³, ZHUO Xianqin⁴, WU Junsheng¹, ZHANG Bowei¹(

)

^1.Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
^2.Xinjiang Joinworld Co. Ltd., Xinjiang 830000, China
^3.Shihezi Zhongjin Electrode Foil Co. Ltd., Shihezi 832000, China
^4.Hainan International Commercial Space Launch Co. Ltd., Wenchang 571300, China

Cite this article:

ZHANG Zequn, LUO Xinjie, LIU Pengfei, DONG Kai, ZHUO Xianqin, WU Junsheng, ZHANG Bowei. Influence of TiC Particles on Microstructure and Corrosion Performance of Laser Powder Bed Fusion Al-Mg-Sc-Zr Alloy. Journal of Chinese Society for Corrosion and protection, 2026, 46(1): 92-102.

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Abstract

TiC nanoparticle modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy was fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technique. The microstructure and corrosion behavior of the as-fabricated alloy were systematically investigated through microstructural analysis of grain structures and precipitates combined with corrosion evaluations, including room-temperature immersion in 3.5% (mass fraction) NaCl solution and slow strain rate tensile tests both in air and 3.5%NaCl solution. The results indicate that the addition of TiC nanoparticle promotes the formation of abundant Al₃(Ti, Sc, Zr) precipitates of nano-size, which induces the transition from columnar-equiaxed bimodal grain distribution to fully equiaxed grains in LPBF-fabricated alloy. This refined grain structure significantly improvethe corrosion resistance and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance. Furthermore, the molten pool boundaries and micron-sized TiC particles formed by the agglomeration of nano-particle serve as the preferential sites for localized corrosion, which also act as the preferential initiation and propagation regions for stress corrosion cracks.

Key words: laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) TiC particle Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy localized corrosion stress corrosion

Received: 27 August 2025 32134.14.1005.4537.2025.269

ZTFLH:

TG172

Fund: Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(425QY913);Xinjiang Talent Development Fund-Shihezi Zhongjin Electrode Foil Co. Ltd., Hot-Pressed Foil R&D Team Building Project

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	ZHANG Zequn
	LUO Xinjie
	LIU Pengfei
	DONG Kai
	ZHUO Xianqin
	WU Junsheng
	ZHANG Bowei

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https://www.jcscp.org/EN/10.11902/1005.4537.2025.269 OR https://www.jcscp.org/EN/Y2026/V46/I1/92

Fig.1 OM images of LPBF Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy (a), OM images (b), SEM images (c) and corresponding the EDS results (d) of LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy

Fig.2 OM images (a, d) and SEM images (b, c, e, f) of XZ plane for LPBF Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy without TiC modification (a-c) and TiC modification (d-f)

Fig.3 IPF image (a) of LPBF Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy, IPF image (b), band contrast image (c), phase maps (d, e) and KAM image (f) of LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy

Fig.4 Bright images (a, b), SAED pattern (c), HRTEM images (d, e), STEM images and EDS mapping (f) of LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy

Fig.5 CLSM images (a, b, d, e) and SEM images (c, f) of XY plane (a-c) and XZ plane (d-f) for LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy after immersion

Fig.6 SEM images (a), EDS results (b, c), FIB-SEM results (d-g) of micro-sized TiC particle in LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy

Fig.7 Surface morphology map (a), surface potential diagram (b), and height and potential profiles of the line represented in the surface map (c) of micro-sized TiC particle in LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy

Fig.8 Schematic diagram of the corrosion behavior for LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy

Fig.9 Stress-strain curves of LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy

Fig.10 Fracture SEM morphologies of LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy in air (a-d) and in solution (e-h) and EDS results of Fig.10g (i)

Fig.11 Fracture SEM images of LPBF TiC-modified Al-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy in air (a-c) and in solution (d-f)

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