Wire arc additive manufacturing of network microstructure (TiB+TiC)/Ti6Al4V composites using flux-cored wires

Titanium matrix composites (TMCs) with ceramic particles exhibit higher hardness, strength, and wear resistance than those of titanium alloys. Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a promising method for fabricating large TMC components owing to its high deposition rate and low production cost. In this study, a WAAM process using a flux-cored wire was developed to fabricate components of TiB plus TiC reinforced Ti6Al4V matrix composites. The network microstructure of the reinforcement was obtained through in-situ reactions induced by the B4C and C powders in the flux core. The formation mechanism of the network microstructure was discussed. The effect of the reinforcement fraction (5 and 10 wt%, hereinafter called 5 and 10 wt% samples) on the microstructure and wear resistance of the samples along the deposition direction were investigated. The results showed that the refined net-basket-dominated (alpha+beta)-Ti matrix and stable network microstructure were formed in middle region owing to the introduction of the reinforcement. The microhardness increased by 23% and 35% when the reinforcement fractions were 5 and 10 wt%, respectively. The 10 wt% sample showed reduced wear performance because more cracks appeared as the result of the decreased ductility.

Automated summary

In this study, a Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process using flux-cored wire was developed to fabricate Ti6Al4V matrix composites reinforced with TiB and TiC particles. The introduction of reinforcement resulted in the formation of a refined net-basket-dominated (alpha+beta)-Ti matrix and a stable network microstructure. The microhardness of the samples increased with increasing reinforcement fraction, but the wear resistance decreased in the 10 wt% sample due to the reduced ductility.