[SIS13] Circular Economy and Sustainability in PM

[15E-SIS13-04] Special Invited: Sustainability of a Novel Low-Cost Process for Making Spherical Titanium Alloy Powders for Additive Manufacturing

*Z. Z. Fang¹ (1.University of Utah, USA)

Keywords:Titanium, Recycling, low cost, spherical powder

Titanium (Ti) is often preferred for its superior strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, bio-compatibility, and high melting point. Despite these advantages, titanium’s high cost and environmental burden have relegated its use almost exclusively to niche, high-dollar applications such as the aerospace and medical sectors. The rise of additive manufacturing has increased demand for low-cost and sustainable spherical Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) metal powders. Current commercial spherical Ti64 powders are produced through melt atomization techniques, which are unsuitable for recycling Ti scrap with high oxygen content and thus are inadequate for achieving corporate and consumer sustainability goals. A novel technique for producing such powders from high-oxygen Ti scraps has been developed using Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction (HAMR) technology to minimize oxygen content. This approach has the potential to decarbonize the global titanium metal industry substantially.