Electron Beam Melting of Niobium Alloys from Blended Powders

Niobium-based tungsten alloys are desirable for high-temperature structural applications yet are restricted in practice by limited room-temperature ductility and fabricability. Powder bed fusion additive manufacturing is one technology that could be leveraged to process alloys with limited ductility, without the need for pre-alloying. A custom electron beam powder bed fusion machine was used to demonstrate the processability of blended Nb-1Zr, Nb-10W-1Zr-0.1C, and Nb-20W-1Zr-0.1C powders, with resulting solid optical densities of 99+%. Ultimately, post-processing heat treatments were required to increase tungsten diffusion in niobium, as well as to attain satisfactory mechanical properties.