Microstructure and properties of TiB2-reinforced Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta processed by laser-powder bed fusion

The Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta (wt%, TNZT) alloy was reinforced with TiB2 and synthesized by L-PBF. The relatively small TiB2 particles change the solidification structure from cellular to columnar-dendritic and lead to submicron TiB precipitation in the β matrix. This results in pronounced grain refinement and reduction of texture. However, the microstructure of the additively manufactured TNZT-TiB2 is still different from the as-cast, unreinforced TNZT, which contains equiaxed and randomly oriented grains. The β phase is less stable in the as-cast samples, leading to stress-induced martensitic transformation and recoverable strain of 1.5%. The TNZT with 1 wt% of TiB2 presents significantly higher compressive strength (σYS = 495 MPa) compared to unreinforced samples (σYS = 430 MPa), without sacrificing ductility or altering Young’s modulus (E ≈ 46 GPa). The addition of a small fraction of TiB2 to the TNZT alloy synthesized by L-PBF is a promising alternative for manufacturing sophisticated components for biomedical applications.