Investigation to Density and Metallurgical Characteristics of Selective Laser Melted Ti-5Al-5 V-5Mo-3Cr Versus Ti-6Al-4 V

Ti-5Al-5 V-5Mo-3Cr (Ti-5553) is a metastable near beta titanium alloy with excellent fatigue performance and corrosion resistance. Hence, it is of significant importance in several high-performance aerospace applications such as aircraft landing gear components. The selective laser melting (SLM) technique shows great potential compared to subtractive methods in generating complex geometries. However, the poor surface finish of the SLMed Ti-5553 components means that post-machining is required to achieve the desired surface quality and dimensional accuracy. Although there is a profound knowledge about the surface integrity of SLMed α + β Ti alloys (typically Ti-6Al-4 V), there is a lack of understanding regarding the microstructure of internal subsurface layers of SLMed Ti-5553 components. In this paper, experimental studies were performed on SLM of Ti-5553 and Ti-64 to determine the effect of SLM parameters on the surface integrity of SLMed Ti components. The density and subsurface microstructure of printed Ti components were measured and evaluated in relation to the SLM conditions.