[T1] Powder Production

[15C-T1-25] Investigation of Morphology and Reusability of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy for 3D Printer Based on Particle Characterization

*M. Yoshida¹, Y. Konishi¹, S. Onda¹, K. Sato¹, K. Tohma², T. Nagase², A. Yanagitani² (1.MicrotracBEL Corp., Japan, 2.University of Hyogo, Japan)

Keywords:Gas-atomized Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy, Electron beam metal 3D printing, Investigation of Morphology and Reusability, Kr gas adsorption, Dynamic image analysis

In electron beam metal 3D printing, accurate characterization of metal particles is critical for efficient layering and for understanding the potential reuse of particles after processing. Factors such as "flowability" and "oxygen content" are influenced from properties such as BET, porosity, particle size, shape, circularity, and unevenness. However, the combined investigation is insufficient and lacks clear criteria for determining the reusability of metal particles. Using gas-atomized Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy as virgin particles, test pieces were temporarily sintered at 700°C and 800°C in a metal 3D printer. The crushing particles by the test pieces were utilized as recycled particles. Evaluation of BET and porosity by Kr adsorption isotherm etc. provided more detailed information on morphological changes of each Ti64 alloy, and insight into the possibility of recycling the crushed particles This presentation will discuss the comprehensive content through the evaluation of gas adsorption methods, particle size, and particle shape.