CUSTOM TITANIUM ALLOY FOR 3-D PRINTING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME
A Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy composition having enhanced strength resulting from the addition of one or more of the following elements without requiring an increase in oxygen content: Aluminum Iron Nitrogen Carbon The composition may also be used for Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock.
1 . An enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy having the following composition by weight percent:
Aluminum—6.3 to 6.7%
Vanadium—4.2 to 4.5%
Iron—0.25 to 0.4%
Oxygen—0.1 to 0.13%
Nitrogen—0.02 to 0.05%
Carbon—0.04 to 0.08%
Hydrogen—0 to 0.0125%
Other Elements—0 to 0.4%
Titanium—Balance.
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8 . An enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock having the following composition by weight percent:
Aluminum—6.44
Vanadium—4.28
Iron—0.20
Oxygen—0.09
Nitrogen—0.04
Carbon—0.05
Hydrogen—0.002
Yttrium—<0.001
Titanium—Balance.
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16 . A method of increasing the strength of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy powder or starting bar stock without increasing oxygen content, comprising adding to the powder or starting bar stock one or more of the following elements:
Aluminum
Iron
Nitrogen
Carbon,
wherein in the case of alloy powder, the addition results in the following weight percent of the elements for the alloy powder:
Aluminum—6.3 to 6.7%
Iron—0.25 to 0.4%
Nitrogen—0.02 to 0.05%
Carbon—0.04 to 0.08%; and
wherein in the case of starting bar stock, the addition results in the following weight percent of the elements for the starting bar stock:
Aluminum—6.3% to 6.7%
Iron—0.15% to 0.30%
Nitrogen—0.02% to 0.05%
Carbon—0.04% to 0.08%.
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19 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy of claim 1 with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object.
20 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a recycled powder alloy of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the recycled powder alloy of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy is obtained from an earlier processing of the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy of claim 1 with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology.
21 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is prepared from the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock of claim 8 .
22 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is produced by the method of claim 16 .
23 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is prepared from a Ti-6Al-4V starting bar stock, which is produced by the method of claim 16 .
24 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
1) the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy of claim 1 ; and
2) a 3-D printer.
25 . The 3-D printing system of claim 24 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system.
26 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
1) the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock of claim 8 ; and
2) a 3-D printer.
27 . The 3-D printing system of claim 26 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system.
28 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
1) a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy; and
2) a 3-D printer,
wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is produced by the method of claim 16 .
29 . The 3-D printing system of claim 28 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system.
30 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
1) a Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock; and
2) a 3-D printer,
wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock is produced by the method of claim 16 .
31 . The 3-D printing system of claim 30 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system.