Kashapov N.F.

Doctor of Technical Sciences (Advanced Doctor), Deputy Director, Federal Research Center Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Mechanics and Engineering

Plasma electrolyte discharge in metal powder production processes

https://doi.org/10.58224/2618-7183-2025-8-6-11
Аннотация
Zinc ultrafine powder has found applications in the medical, electronic, chemical, construction, and metallurgical industries. Existing methods of producing zinc powder have a number of drawbacks: some of them are highly energy-consuming, while others are characterized by low productivity and a coarse-grained structure of the powders. A solution to this problem can be found in the use of a gas discharge between an electrolytic anode and a metallic cathode immersed in an alkaline solution.The aim of this work was to study the combustion processes of a gas discharge between an electrolytic anode and a metallic cathode immersed in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. The possibility of applying a gas discharge with a liquid electrolytic anode for the production of zinc powder from alkaline solutions has been established.The pulsed mode can be used at the voltages of the I-V characteristic curve only in the region where intensive hydrodynamic disturbances are observed and where a gradual increase occurs in the area of the metallic electrode surface covered by the gas discharge (U = 150–215 V for a 1% solution, U = 100–125 V for a 3% solution, and U = 70–110 V for a 5% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide).
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Orientation-dependent mechanical properties of 3D-printed components fabricated by selective laser melting of metal powders

https://doi.org/10.58224/2618-7183-2025-8-6-12
Аннотация
This study investigates the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys AlSi10Mg and AK9ch fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM), taking into account the build orientation (longitudinal, transverse, 45°) and applied heat treatment regimes (stress-relieving annealing, T6 treatment, prolonged aging). A comprehensive tensile test program was conducted to determine ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and hardness. Results show that SLM-processed specimens significantly outperform conventionally cast AK9ch, especially after T6 treatment, achieving up to 285 MPa in strength with ~9% elongation. For the first time, it is demonstrated that the Russian casting alloy AK9ch is suitable for SLM technology, with post-treatment strength reaching 259 MPa and ductility ~5%, comparable to that of AlSi10Mg. The influence of build orientation was found to be negligible at high relative density (>99%). The findings confirm the potential of additive manufacturing to produce high-performance aluminum parts using domestic alloys, offering a promising path toward import-independent 3D production in Russia.
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