1 - A historical perspective of titanium powder metallurgy

Abstract

The history of titanium powder metallurgy (PM) is reviewed from the early days of the titanium industry (late 1940s) to the present day (late 2013). The first attempts at a PM approach to fabrication of solid titanium articles were displaced as a commercial process by ingot melting techniques. The blended elemental and prealloyed (PA)/hot isostatic press (HIP) approaches were investigated in the late 1960s and early 1970s with some success but no commercial applications. The status of titanium PM was comprehensively reviewed at a landmark TMS Conference in 1980. Around 1990, some early efforts at metal injection molding (MIM) of titanium with some nonstructural parts were made. This was followed by attempts at spray deposition of titanium in the 2000s and the development of commercial MIM (including structural components), blended elemental (a high point being the qualification of parts for Boeing commercial aircraft), PA/HIP, and additive manufactured technologies. A comprehensive review of titanium PM was documented at a conference in 2012.