Microstructure and Wear Properties of Electron Beam Melted Ti-6Al-4V Parts: A Comparison Study against As-Cast Form
Wei Quan Toh,
Pan Wang,
Xipeng Tan,
Mui Ling Sharon Nai,
Erjia Liu,
Shu Beng Tor
Affiliations
Wei Quan Toh
Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Pan Wang
Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 73 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637662, Singapore
Xipeng Tan
Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Mui Ling Sharon Nai
Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 73 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637662, Singapore
Erjia Liu
Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Shu Beng Tor
Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) parts of varying thicknesses were additively manufactured (AM) by the powder-bed-based electron beam melting (EBM) technique. Microstructure and wear properties of these EBM-built Ti-6Al-4V parts have been investigated in comparison with conventionally cast Ti64 samples. Sliding wear tests were conducted using a ball-on-disc micro-tribometer under ambient conditions. Experimental results reveal that EBM-built Ti64 samples exhibited higher microhardness and an overall larger coefficient of friction as compared to the as-cast counterpart. Of interest is that the corresponding specific wear volumes were lower for EBM-built Ti64 samples, while the as-cast Ti64 showed the poorest wear resistance despite its lower coefficient of friction. Wear mechanisms were provided in terms of quantitative microstructural characterization and detailed analysis on coefficient of friction (COF) curves.
