PM_G_13: Ti Alloy Design for Additive Manufacturing
This in-depth example, which is available on our website, uses the Property Model Calculator to find the optimal composition for a titanium-based alloy to be used for additive manufacturing applications.
Additive manufacturing provides new opportunities to fabricate complex parts. However, traditional alloys may not be readily printable using techniques such as laser powder bed fusion. As such, the development of new alloys may be necessary to fully realize the benefits of additive manufacturing technologies.
In this example, inspired by the work of Ackers et al. [2021Ack], Batch calculations within the Property Model Calculator are used to identify candidate titanium alloy chemistries for biomedical implant applications using the thermodynamic TCS Ti/TiAl-based Alloys Database (TCTI). To optimize printability and material weight, the liquidus temperature, solidus temperature, and density of 2000 randomized titanium alloy chemistries from the Ti-Nb-Zr-Sn-Ta-Fe-Mo system are calculated. An estimate of alloy cost is also made for each alloy. Taken together, this methodology can be used to identify compositions of interest and accelerate material development activities.
Figure 1: Cost estimate histogram for 2000 randomized chemistries from the Ti-Nb-Zr-Sn-Ta-Fe-Mo system. The cost estimate was calculated using a user-defined function in the Property Model Calculator.
Project File and License InformationVisualizations
Many of our Graphical Mode examples have video tutorials, which you can access in a variety of ways. When in Thermo‑Calc, from the menu select Help → Video Tutorials, or from the main My Project window, click Video Tutorials. Alternately, you can go to the website or our YouTube channel.
Open the example project file to review the node setup on the Project window and the associated settings on the Configuration window for each node. For some types of projects, you can also adjust settings on the Plot Renderer Configuration window to preview results before performing the simulation. Click Perform Tree to generate plots and tables to see the results on the Visualizations window.
The resulting plots and details related to setting up this example are available to download via the dedicated web page.
Reference
[2021Ack] M. A. Ackers, O. M. D. M. Messé, U. Hecht, Novel approach of alloy design and selection for additive manufacturing towards targeted applications. J. Alloys Compd. 866, 158965 (2021).