Enhanced mechanical properties by laser powder bed fusion using cost-effective hydride-dehydride titanium powders

The high cost of powder feedstock has emerged as a critical issue in additive manufacturing of titanium (Ti). In this work, pure Ti parts were successfully produced via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) by employing cost-effective hydride-dehydride (HDH) powders modified through gas-soild fluidization. The microstructures and tensile properties were comprehensively investigated as a function of scanning speed. The pure Ti parts made under the optimized processing parameter exhibited an ultimate tensile strength of 826.1 MPa with a fracture strain of 22.3% at room temperature, superior to those made by the expensive atomized powders. The fatigue performance of the LPBF-made pure Ti using the HDH powders is comparable to those made by rolling. The excellent mechanical performance can be attributed to the effects of grain refining, texture evolution, dislocation recovery, and cyclic softening by dislocation cells and tangles generated. This work provides an effectively low-cost route to fabricate pure Ti by LPBF with excellent mechanical properties, which also serves as a useful guidance on the processing window setup using the HDH powder.