Achieving low-cost, and high-performance titanium-copper alloys by additive manufacturing

Abstract

The trade-off between the cost, strength and ductility of titanium (Ti) hinders the development of the industrial applications of Ti. In this work, Ti-Cu alloys were successfully produced via additive manufacturing (AM) by employing low-cost hydrogenation dehydrogenation (HDH) Ti with high oxygen content and Cu powders modified through fluidization. With the addition of Cu and oxygen, the strength of Ti-Cu alloys exhibits a significant enhancement compared to pure Ti. The microstructure of the Ti-Cu alloys was observed through XRD, SEM, EBSD, and TEM. The underlying strengthening and toughening mechanisms of Ti-Cu alloys were uncovered in this study. The excellent mechanical properties may be attributed to grain refinement, solid solution strengthening, and dispersion of nanoscale Ti₂Cu phase. This study provides a useful guidance for 3D printing low-cost, and high-performance metals.