Novel heat-resistant Al-Si-Ni-Fe alloy manufactured by selective laser melting

•The yield compression stress of the Al-Si-Ni-Fe alloy at 200 °C is 355 MPa.•The hardness of the as processed Al-Si-Ni-Fe alloy is 186HV.•High strength is provided by the fine structure formed by the Si, Al5Fe(Ni,Cu) and Al3(Ni,Cu) phases. The novel Al-Si-Ni-Fe alloy with high compression strength at elevated temperatures has been successfully produced by selective laser melting at an average volumetric energy density of about 100 J/mm3 and has a relative density of 99,86%. The hardness of as fabricated Al-Si-Ni-Fe alloy is 186HV and it decreases during heat treatment to 124HV due to stress relief and silicon particle growth. The yield compression stress is 355 MPa at 200 °C. This high strength is provided by the fine structure formed by the Si, Al5Fe(Ni,Cu) and Al3(Ni,Cu) phases. The good strength properties of the alloy at elevated temperatures make it a quite promising lightweight material for high temperature applications.