ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2025 25 and microstructural data was developed across five machines and three manu- facturers. Phase II (OQ/MQ) will focus on expansion to include 10 powder heats and 20 manufacturing lots, enabling the statistical rigor required for MMPDS Volume II inclusion. Several key findings emerged from Phase 1, including the following: All builds exceeded the 99.80% density requirement without HIP; grain size and mechanical properties (yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation) met or exceeded draft specification targets; and creep testing at 800°C and 325 MPa showed rupture lives exceeding 100 hours, with Z-oriented samples (coarser/elongated grains) performing best. The qualification process also revealed practical challenges in applying the AMS standards, such as the rigidity of required KPVs and the complexity of designing operational qualification (OQ) builds for multi-laser systems. These insights are informing ongoing revisions to the standards and helping streamline future qualifi- cation efforts. MMPDS: BUILDING THE DATASET To support broader adoption, a special project sponsored by America Makes and led by EPRI is building a comprehensive dataset that meets the requirements of MMPDS Volume II. This effort includes a new section focused on materials with complex manufacturing processes like additive manufacturing. The data strategy for MMPDS inclusion involves the following initiatives: Statistical rigor: Phase II will generate data from 10 unique powder heats and 20 manufacturing lots, covering multiple machines and build orientations (X, Y, Z). Targeted properties: Room temperature and elevated temperature elongation, yield, and tensile strength; creep rupture and minimum creep rate; low-cycle fatigue; fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness; thermophysical properties (e.g., thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, specific heat, and density). Microstructural characterization: Each build includes porosity and grain size evaluations to correlate statistical variation with mechanical performance, and validate that minimum requirements are met in the material specification. Data management: All data is collected under a formal data manage- ment plan with quality assurance oversight, ensuring traceability and auditability for MMPDS submission. This level of rigor is essential to enable engineers to confidently design with ABD-900AM in safety-critical applications, from hot-section gas turbine components to hypersonic thermal management systems. CONCLUSION ABD-900AM is a major leap forward in the evolution of additive manufacturing for extreme environments. By combining high-temperature performance, excellent printability, and a robust qualification pathway, this specialized alloy facilitates improved efficiency, reliability, and design freedom in aerospace, defense, and power generation. As the first additively manufactured high-temperature super- alloy to undergo a comprehensive, standards-driven qualification process, ABD-900AM is establishing a new benchmark for future materials. With its inclusion in MMPDS on the horizon, it is poised to become a trusted material for engineers designing the next generation of advanced aerospace and energy systems. ~AM&P Note: ABD-900AM is registered trademark of Aubert & Duval. For more information: Alex Bridges, senior team leader, Electric Power Research Institute, 1300 West W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28262, 704.595.2000, abridges@epri.com. References 1. Z. Xu, et al., Effect of Post Processing on the Creep Performance of Laser Powder Bed Fused Inconel 718, Addit. Manuf., 24, p 486-497, 2018, doi. org/10.1016/j.addma.2018.10.027. 2. A. Mostafaei, et al., Additive Manufacturing of Nickel-Based Superalloys: A State-of-the-Art Review on Process-Structure-Defect-Property Relationship, Prog. Mater. Sci., 136, p 101108, 2023, doi.org/10.1016/j. pmatsci.2023.101108. 3. Y.T. Tang, et al., Alloys-by-Design: Application to New Superalloys for Additive Manufacturing, Acta Mater., 202, p 417-436, 2021, doi.org/10.1016/ j.actamat.2020.09.023. 4. A. Bridges and J. Shingledecker, Creep Deformation and Damage Mechanisms in an Advanced HighTemperature Additively Manufactured Nickel-Base Superalloy, JOM, April 2025, doi.org/10.1007/s11837-025-07326-x.
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