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One of the main limitations for widespread additive manufacturing is availability and processability of the precursor materials feedstock. For the first time, this study reports the development of a “pomegranate-like” structured TiB2-Si ceramic-metalloid powder feedstock suitable for selective laser melting (SLM) of ceramic-based composite. The powder was produced via self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) at a moderate combustion temperature of 1530 °C. The effective activation energy in the Ti-B-Si system for the slow step of the combustion process was estimated as 184 kJ. Conditions of SHS process demonstrated a strong influence on the properties of produced powders and, therefore, on SLM parameters and properties of the printed materials. The powders have demonstrated a high performance for manufacturing bulks of 56 wt%TiB2–44 wt%Si ceramic-based composite.

Aluminum (Al) and its alloys are the second most used materials spanning industrial applications in automotive, aircraft and aerospace industries. To comply with the industrial demand for high-performance aluminum alloys with superb mechanical properties, one promising approach is reinforcement with ceramic particulates. Laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) of Al alloy powders provides vast freedom in design and allows fabrication of aluminum matrix composites with significant grain refinement and textureless microstructure. This review paper evaluates the trends in in situ and ex situ reinforcement of aluminum alloys by ceramic particulates, while analyzing their effect on the material properties and process parameters. The current research efforts are mainly directed toward additives for grain refinement to improve the mechanical performance of the printed parts. Reinforcing additives has been demonstrated as a promising perspective for the industrialization of Al-based composites produced via laser powder-bed fusion technique. In this review, attention is mainly paid to borides (TiB2, LaB6, CaB6), carbides (TiC, SiC), nitrides (TiN, Si3N4, BN, AlN), hybrid additives and their effect on the densification, grain refinement and mechanical behavior of the LPBF-produced composites.

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