Electron beam additive manufacturing of TiB2/Ti-6Al-4V composite

Abstract

Microstructure and phase composition of the titanium matrix composite made from a pre-mixed powder blend of Ti-6Al-4V+TiB2 were studied. High energy planetary ball milling method was used both to obtain TiB2 powder and to mix Ti-6Al-4V matrix composite powder with 5 wt.% TiB2. Electron beam melting technology was used to build the parts of the titanium metal matrix composites. To modify the microstructure of additive manufactured TiB2/Ti-6Al-4V sample their surface layer was subjected to one-pass electron beam melting. It was shown that the microstructure of 3D- printed TiB2/Ti-6Al-4V sample consists of equiaxial prior β grains of approximately 200 μm in size with the acicular α phase. TiB phase formation in the as-build titanium matrix composite was found. Subsequent electron beam surface treatment decreased in the width of acicular α phase and increased in the volume fraction of β phase in the titanium matrix composite.