Two PolyU researchers from the Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM) and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE), in collaboration with RMIT University and the University of Sydney, have successfully produced a new strong, ductile, and sustainable titanium alloy (α–β Ti-O-Fe alloy) using 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing). The research study, titled “Strong and ductile titanium-oxygen-iron alloys by additive manufacturing”, was recently published in Nature. The new titanium alloy exhibits immense potential for diverse applications, ranging from aerospace and marine engineering to consumer electronics and biomedical devices.
Dr CHEN Zibin, Assistant Professor in the ISE Department, and Prof. Keith K.C. CHAN, Associate Director of RIAM, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Chair Professor of Manufacturing Engineering in the ISE Department, are the leading author and the co-author of the study, respectively.
To produce the new titanium alloy, the research team used 3D printing with the incorporation of oxygen and iron. The 3D printing method involved the recycling of off-grade sponge titanium, a waste product in traditional manufacturing, which was converted into powder as raw material for producing high-performance titanium alloy. Oxygen and iron are inexpensive and abundant elements and can increase the stability and strength of α–β phase titanium alloys.
