Selective Laser Melting of Titanium Alloys: Processing, Microstructure and Properties

Abstract

Although titanium alloys have exhibited a combination range of excellent properties. However, various potential applications of titanium alloys are hampered by hard machinery and/or high cost due to material removal in conventional manufacturing processes. Emerging additive manufacturing techniques are providing a perfect opportunity for creating titanium and its composites, especially with complex dimensions, such as selective laser melting (SLM). So far, many types of titanium alloys components have been successfully manufactured by SLM, and they show comparable properties compared with their traditional counterparts. This chapter first briefly introduces the characteristics of the SLM process and parameters involved, then reviews some of the latest developments in the processing, microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-based alloys and porous structures produced by SLM.

Keywords: Composites, Deformation behavior, Fatigue, Fracture, Mechanical properties, Microstructure, Selective laser melting, Titanium, Wear.