J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2024, Vol. 183: 32-62.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2023.11.003

• Review Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Advances in additively manufactured titanium alloys by powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition: Microstructure, defects, and mechanical behavior

H.Y. Maa, J.C. Wanga,b, P. Qina, Y.J. Liuc,*, L.Y. Chend,*, L.Q. Wange,*, L.C. Zhanga,*   

  1. aCentre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Perth, WA 6027, SA;
    bSchool of Engineering, M050, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, SA;
    cInstitute of Metals, College of Material Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China;
    dSchool of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China;
    eState Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Material Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • Received:2023-08-05 Revised:2023-11-05 Accepted:2023-11-08 Published:2024-06-01 Online:2023-11-25
  • Contact: * E-mail addresses: yjliu@csust.edu.cn (Y.J. Liu), lychen@just.edu.cn (L.Y. Chen), wang_liqiang@sjtu.edu.cn (L.Q. Wang), l.zhang@ecu.edu.au, lczhangimr@gmail.com (L.C. Zhang).

Abstract: Ti and its alloys have been broadly adopted across various industries owing to their outstanding properties, such as high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent fatigue performance, exceptional corrosion resistance and so on. Additive manufacturing (AM) is a complement to, rather than a replacement for, traditional manufacturing processes. It enhances flexibility in fabricating complex components and resolves machining challenges, resulting in reduced lead times for custom designs. However, owing to distinctions among various AM technologies, Ti alloys fabricated by different AM methods usually present differences in microstructure and defects, which can significantly influence the mechanical performance of built parts. Therefore, having an in-depth knowledge of the scientific aspects of fabrication and material properties is crucial to achieving high-performance Ti alloys through different AM methods. This article reviews the mechanical properties of Ti alloys fabricated by two mainstream powder-type AM techniques: powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED). The review examines several key aspects, encompassing phase formation, grain size and morphology, and defects, and provides an in-depth analysis of their influence on the mechanical behaviors of Ti alloys. This review can aid researchers and engineers in selecting appropriate PBF or DED methods and optimizing their process parameters to fabricate high-performance Ti alloys for a wide range of industrial applications.

Key words: Powder bed fusion, Directed energy deposition, Titanium alloys, Phase transformation, Defects, Mechanical property