Research Projects

Project Summary 1. Origin of the proposal Ti64 alloy is a popular titanium alloy, accounting for more than 50% of all titanium usage worldwide. The widespread applicability is owing to its high specific strength, exceptional stability at high operating temperatures and good high temperature corrosion resistance properties. The salient features make AM a powerful tool for a wide range of applications, from medical implants to aerospace components to consumer products. For practical application of Ti64 with improved high temperature oxidation stability and wear resistance, the alloy is being altered with addition of advanced materials based nanofillers. In this project proposal, an attempt will be made to alter the Ti64 powder with hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (hBN), 2-dimensional material with layered-structure having high temperature stability, oxidation stability and high thermal conductivity. The hBN altered Ti64 alloy powder is processed in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM) technology to fabricate parts for test and applications. Keywords: Nanosheets; Ti64 alloy; Additive manufacturing; Corrosion resistance; Wear resistance 2. Methodology and hypothesis The proposed work emphasizes the preparation of hBN 2D-nanosheets (BNS) and development of Ti64 composites reinforced with BNS. The proposed work can be achieved by implementing the activities in three phase. (i) Optimization of processing parameters for generating BNS from bulk hBN, (ii) Preparation of BNS reinforced Ti64 composites with Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) method. (iii) Examination of microstructure, grain-size control, melt pool geometry to tailor the mechanical, and wear characteristics. The possibility of forming other constituents are as follows: • At high temperatures, the hBN breaks down into its constituents. Reaction of Ti6Al4V with hBN to form TiB2 is depends on reaction conditions This reaction involves the breakdown of BN into its constituent elements, which then react with the titanium and aluminum in the alloy to form TiB2 and AlN as intermediate products. The aluminum nitride subsequently reacts with the remaining titanium to form titanium nitride (TiN). • In other case, the chemical reaction may not occur between Ti6Al4V and boron nitride. Instead, the boron nitride particles will be dispersed within the Ti6Al4V matrix act as filler to enhance its mechanical and physical properties, such as hardness, strength, and stiffness. 3. Objectives • Process intensification for creating Layer-engineered BNS • Process optimization for controllable distribution of BNS in Ti64 alloy powder • Optimization of laser processing parameters (laser power, scanning speed, layer thickness, and hatch spacing) • Development of BNS altered Ti64 alloy with unprecedented high temperature corrosion, wear resistance and other properties • Investigation and analysis of corrosion and wear characteristics of hBN-Ti64 alloy composites