Engineers from Monash University have developed a new titanium alloy for 3D printing with a unique
Titanium alloys are already valued in industrydue to their strength and relatively light weight, making them an ideal material for aircraft and other vehicles. However, the materials can be improved, and the new alloy not only boasts greater strength, but thanks to 3D printing, it is much easier to shape.
The engineers used conventional 3D printing techniques,in which a layer of powdered metal is melted by a laser, fusing it into a solid layer by layer. In this case, the powdered metal is a commonly used beta titanium alloy. The material is then heat treated at temperatures ranging from 480 to 520 °C. As a result, scientists create a microstructure that gives the alloy incredible strength.
During the processing process, titanium particles are deposited innanograins that merge into nanodouble structures. The authors of the development noted that this is the first titanium alloy with such a structure, and this makes it much stronger than usual.
During tests, scientists found that the limitThe tensile and tensile strength of the new titanium alloy (tensile and tensile, respectively) is more than 1,600 MPa. For reference, for most commercial titanium alloys it is at the level of 1,000 MPa. According to the authors of the development, this is also the highest specific strength of any other 3D-printed metal alloy.
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