Corrosion Behavior of AlSi10Mg Alloy Produced by Additive Manufacturing (AM) vs. Its Counterpart Gravity Cast Alloy

The attractiveness of additive manufacturing (AM) relates to the ability of this technology to rapidly produce very complex components at affordable costs. However, the properties and corrosion behavior, in particular, of products produced by AM technology should at least match the properties obtained by conventional technologies. The present study aims at evaluating the corrosion behavior and corrosion fatigue endurance of AlSi10Mg alloy produced by selective laser melting (SLM) in comparison with its conventional counterpart, gravity cast alloy. The results obtained indicate that the corrosion resistance of the printed and cast alloys was relatively similar, with a minor advantage to the printed alloy. The corrosion fatigue endurance of the printed alloy was relatively improved compared to the cast alloy. This was mainly attributed to the significant differences between the microstructure and defect characteristics of those two alloys.