Engineers from RMIT University have developed a new type of 3D-printed titanium that is reportedly one-third cheaper than commonly used titanium alloys.
The team used cheaper and more readily available alternative materials to replace the increasingly expensive vanadium.
“New types of titanium and other alloys will allow us to really push the boundaries of what’s possible with 3D printing, and the framework for designing new alloys outlined in our study is a significant step in that direction,” RMIT’s Centre for Additive Manufacturing PhD candidate and study lead author Ryan Brooke says.
“What I heard loud and clear from end users was that to bring new alloys to market, the benefits have to not just be minor incremental steps but a full leap forward, and that’s what we have achieved here.”
Advantages of the 3D-printed titanium
Testing of the alloy revealed improved strength and performance compared to standard 3D-printed titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V).
The team’s alloy is 29 percent cheaper to produce than standard titanium.
The metal reportedly also prints more evenly, avoiding the column-shaped microstructures that lead to uneven mechanical properties in some 3D printed alloys.
“By developing a more cost-effective formula that avoids this columnar microstructure, we have solved two key challenges preventing widespread adoption of 3D printing,” Brooke says.
“3D printing allows faster, less wasteful and more tailorable production, yet we’re still relying on legacy alloys, like Ti-6Al-4V, that don’t allow full capitalisation of this potential. It’s like we’ve created an aeroplane and are still just driving it around the streets.”
RMIT’s team has already applied for a provisional patent for its latest technology. It is now considering commercial opportunities to develop the new low-cost product, which could have wide-ranging applications from aerospace to medical device industries.
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