How to choose the right titanium powder in 3D printing?

 

In the field of 3D printing, choosing the right titanium powder requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors. Here are some key points:

 

Powder properties

 

Particle size distribution: Particle size distribution directly affects the fluidity and bulk density of the powder. Generally speaking, the particle size range of 3D printing titanium powder is mostly 50-150 microns. Finer powder can improve printing accuracy and surface quality, but the fluidity may be poor; coarser powder has good fluidity, but may reduce printing accuracy. For example, when printing some aerospace parts with extremely high precision requirements, titanium powder with a narrower and finer particle size distribution can be selected.

 

Shape: The ideal titanium powder shape is spherical. Spherical powder has good fluidity and filling properties, and can be evenly spread on the printing platform, which is conducive to improving printing quality and efficiency. Powders with irregular shapes may cause poor fluidity and unevenness during the powder spreading process, affecting the density and performance of the printed parts.

 

Purity: Titanium powder with high purity can ensure the performance of the printed parts. If the impurities in titanium powder, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and other elements, are too high, the mechanical properties of the printed parts will decrease, such as reduced toughness and increased brittleness. For fields such as aerospace that have extremely high requirements for material performance, titanium powder with a purity of more than 99.5% is usually required.

 

3D printing process

 

Laser selective melting (SLM): This process requires titanium powder to have good fluidity and rapid melting and solidification characteristics to ensure that the powder can be evenly melted and quickly solidified during laser scanning. Generally, titanium powder with moderate particle size and high sphericity, such as titanium powder with a particle size of 70-150 microns, is more suitable.

 

Electron beam selective melting (EBSM): Due to the high energy of the electron beam, the absorption and melting effect of the powder is better. Titanium powder with a slightly coarser particle size, such as 100-200 microns, can be used to improve printing efficiency while ensuring molding quality.

 

Application requirements

 

Aerospace field: The strength, toughness, and reliability of parts are extremely high. It is necessary to select titanium powder with high purity, uniform particle size, and good sphericity to ensure that the printed parts can withstand complex working conditions and high-stress environments.

 

Medical field: When used to manufacture medical devices such as implants, in addition to requiring titanium powder to have good biocompatibility, it is also necessary to consider the accuracy and surface quality of the printed parts to ensure that the implant fits well with human tissue. Therefore, titanium powder with finer particle size and lower impurity content should be selected to meet the requirements of high-precision printing and biosafety.

 

Cost and supply

 

Cost: The price of titanium powder with different purity, particle size, and shape varies greatly. On the premise of meeting application requirements, cost factors need to be considered comprehensively. For some cost-sensitive application scenarios, titanium powder with high cost performance can be selected on the basis of ensuring performance.

 

Supply stability: It is crucial to select a titanium powder supplier with stable supply capacity to ensure the continuity of production. It is necessary to examine the supplier's production scale, production process, quality control system, and after-sales service to ensure that titanium powder that meets the requirements can be provided stably and for a long time.