A20X, the aluminium alloy developed and patented by Aeromet, has cemented its status one of the strongest aluminium additive manufacturing powders commercially available after surpassing the key 500 MPa UTS mark.

As part of a recent research project involving aero-engine giant Rolls-Royce and additive manufacturing equipment specialist Renishaw, heat-treated parts produced using A20X Powder have achieved an Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of 511 MPa, a Yield Strength of 440 MPa and Elongation of 13% - putting the powder at the forefront of high-strength aluminium additive manufacturing.

Crucially, parts additively manufactured with A20X Powder maintain high-strength and fatigue properties even at elevated temperatures, outperforming other leading aluminium powders.

Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet, commented: "Since bringing the A20X alloy to market for additive manufacturing 5 years ago we have seen significant adoption for high-strength, design-critical applications. By working with Rolls-Royce, Renishaw and PSI we have optimised processing parameters that led to record-breaking results, opening up new design possibilities for aerospace and advanced engineering applications".

The HighSAP project, backed by the UK's National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP), was led by Aeromet and involved Rolls-Royce, Renishaw and atomisation experts PSI. A20X Powder for additive manufacturing is derived from the MMPDS-approved A20X Casting alloy, the world's strongest aluminium casting alloy, which is in use by a global network of leading aerospace casting suppliers.