Selective laser sintering of alumina using aluminum binder

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process has been used to make shapes from Al2O3 using Al as binder. SLS is a rapid manufacturing process that uses data from Solid Modeling systems to guide a laser beam and rapidly form 3-D shapes from powder without any part specific tooling. The aluminum melts under the laser and bonds the alumina particles. Some of the aluminum reacts with the ambient (air) to form alumina. The residual aluminum is oxidized in a subsequent heat-treatment step. The effect of parameters in the SLS step and heat-treating step on the mechanical properties and density of the part is examined. Linear expansion of the parts with oxidation heat-treatment is also examined.