Titanium Carbon Composite

There is an ever growing need for high performance materials in the aerospace industry. Composite materials have broken boundaries but still have limitations in terms of unpredictable failure behavior, low strength/stiffness, high cost, inability to create certain geometries and attachment point creation. As part of his final year project at the University of Western Australia, the author has worked on the development of a new composite material featuring a composite of Titanium and Carbon Fibre. The project has won the 2012 CSIRO Titanium Challenge Coogee Award, an Australia wide competition which challenges applicants to make innovative and inventive use of selective laser melting. 

Titanium carbon composite is a new sandwich construction composite material that consists of a outer skin of carbon fiber (high tensile material) and a complex titanium scaffold core manufactured by selective laser melting. The composite material shows extremely high strength and stiffness with low weight. The composite out performs all existing materials in these areas.

The unique features of the material is the application of the SLM manufacturing process in building a core. Not only does this facilitate the production of a high strength 3D core – something this is not possible using conventional processing – but also allows the tailoring of the core structure depending on the expected loading conditions or the need to produce integral anchoring points. Apart from being stronger and lighter, the material also has a unique failure behaviour, which increases the damage tolerance of the part.

The major use of this material would be in a high performance application where high stiffness/strength and low weight are essential. Both major and minor companies in the field of high performance products would find the material useful.  Companies such as aircraft, aerospace, energy production and car manufacturers are only some of the potential interests. 

See more of: Additive Manufacturing of High Temperature Alloys and Coatings
See more of: Additive Manufacturing