Introduction
Marine equipment faces seawater corrosion, cavitation erosion and alternating heavy loads. Conventional cast nickel aluminum bronze is difficult to form into complex internal cavities and lightweight structures. Limited supplies of high-quality powder suitable for LPBF also constrain industrial adoption.
Nanjixiong learned that Sichuan Zenglong New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. will launch C95400 spherical nickel aluminum bronze powder and an associated laser powder bed fusion process at TCT's 2026 South China AM exhibition, providing high-strength, corrosion-resistant copper-based materials for advanced marine equipment.
1. C95400 targets demanding marine applications
Zenglong developed an Al-Ni-Fe-Mn-system C95400 powder using vacuum gas atomization under argon protection. Testing covers physical powder properties, printability, mechanical performance after heat treatment and corrosion resistance. The material is intended to meet requirements for strength, toughness, seawater corrosion resistance, cavitation and abrasive erosion resistance, and reliable service.
Potential uses include marine valves, propeller components, seawater pump bodies, shaft sleeves, ship piping fittings, underwater equipment and petrochemical seawater heat-exchange components exposed to seawater and cavitation.
2. Powder production and high-density printing
The spherical powder's AM particle range is 15–53 μm. Good sphericity, a low satellite-particle fraction and flowability support LPBF recoating. Composition and key physical properties are presented below.
Powder composition:
Key physical powder properties:
High thermal conductivity in nickel aluminum bronze causes significant laser energy loss during printing and can contribute to elemental segregation and microcracking. Zenglong reports that process development and testing have addressed these issues, achieving printed densities above 99.8%. Powder customers receive printing parameters and heat-treatment schedules free of charge, with customized processes available for special requirements.
Mechanical properties:
Nanjixiong's observation: a new copper alloy option for marine AM
Copper alloy printing faces thermal conductivity, laser absorption, energy loss, melt-pool stability and segregation challenges. The C95400 launch represents a complete approach spanning powder preparation, LPBF and heat-treatment performance control for high-strength, corrosion-resistant marine alloys.
For shipbuilding, offshore engineering, pumps, valves and petrochemical heat exchangers, this is both a material and an implementable manufacturing solution. The launch signals a shift from basic printability toward high performance, customization and production at scale for critical marine metal components.
Sichuan Zenglong: specialist powder materials manufacturer
Official website.
Address: No. 44-1, Gaotan Industrial Park, Sichuan-Chongqing Gaozhu New Area, Linshui County, Guang'an, Sichuan.
Visit booth D40 at the exhibition for further information. Readers not attending can contact the “Zenglong New Materials Technology” public account.
AI-translated from an article by Xiaoruanxiong on Nanjixiong, originally published on 2026-10-13. Text and images retain the original source attribution.
Read the original Chinese article |
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