Additive Manufacturing of Atomized Ti-1Al-8V-5Fe by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The inherent fast cooling rates during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of Ti-185 solve the segregation problem that plagued the material since 1960s during casting. Consequently, the design flexibility of AM combined with the high-strength and ductility of the heat-treatable Ti-185 opens the doors to many applications in various industries. However, the atomized powder required for AM was not commercially available before the current work. To establish the needed data for wider use of the alloy, characterization of the atomized powder will be presented followed by evaluation of the mechanical properties after LPBF in the as-built, heat-treated, and after hot isostatic pressing (HIP) conditions. Room temperature tensile testing of the as-built Ti-185 resulted in 1022 MPa UTS, 84 GPa Young’s modulus and 8.3% ductility. HIP treatment followed by annealing increased the UTS and Young’s modulus to 1327MPa and 107 GPa , respectively, while decreasing ductility to 4.5%. Microstructure evolution of the as-built Ti-185 after heat treatment and HIP will also be shown.