Sacrificial ceramics powders mix for titanium alloys complex shapes production by hybridization of SPS and 3D printing

Abstract

The production of complex shapes via Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) is challenging due to intricate die configurations. The “DEFORMINT” approach combines 3D printing with SPS and sacrificial powder to fabricate fully dense shapes. Using the same powder for both the component and sacrificial part avoids distortions, but high costs of titanium alloys like Ti-6Al-4 V are limiting. This study tested a low-cost ceramic powder that mimics Ti-6Al-4 V's behavior, forming a pseudo-isostatic configuration above 1250 K. SPS experiments established a densification model and predicted distortions in a thick cone and a thin, complex turbine blade, showing good correlation with experimental results. The new sacrificial mix does not imply additional deformation and allows the fabrication of turbine blades. The only defect is a 600 μm skin effect at the contact interface.