Novel bainitic Ti alloys designed for additive manufacturing

Novel ternary titanium alloys with a bainitic microstructure have been designed specifically for additive manufacturing (AM). The Ti-xCu-yFe alloys take advantage of constitutional supercooling to suppress the growth of large columnar grains usually associated with AM Ti alloys. In the as-built condition the bainitic microstructure consists of a refined α-phase within a matrix of β-phase. The intermetallic phase, Ti2Cu, forms predominantly on the interface of the α- and β-phase and within the β matrix. The high strength of these materials is attributed to the refined α-phase and Ti2Cu particles as well as significant solid solution hardening. This work demonstrates a viable way to fabricate structural components with unique and excellent properties using low-cost elemental powders with AM.