Aerospace is a key market driver for the advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) due to the huge demands in high-mix low-volume production of high-value parts, integrated complex part geometries and simplified fabrication workflow. Rapid and significant progress has been made in the laser additive manufacturing (LAM) of aeroengine materials, including the advanced high-strength steels, nickel-based superalloys and titanium-based alloys. Despite the extensive investigation of these three families of materials by the research community, there is a lack of comprehensive review on LAM of high strength steels, and existing gaps in published reviews on Ti-based alloys and Ni-based superalloys. Furthermore, although emerging materials such as high/medium entropy alloys and heterostructured materials exhibit promising mechanical performance, rigorous characterization, testing, qualification, and certification are still required before actual application in engine parts. Thus, it is still important and relevant to have a deep understanding on the relationship between process parameters – microstructures – mechanical properties in these widely used aeroengine materials, to drive the development of superior high-value alloys. This review aims to provide a critical and in-depth evaluation of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and laser directed energy deposition (LDED) technologies of the mentioned aeroengine materials. The review will summarize the material properties, performance envelops and outlines the research gaps of these aeroengine materials. Furthermore, perspectives on research opportunities, materials development, and new R&D approaches of LAM for the aeroengine materials are also highlighted.

Progress and perspectives in laser additive manufacturing of key aeroengine materials

Titanium alloys are advanced lightweight materials, indispensable for many critical applications1,2. The mainstay of the titanium industry is the α-β titanium alloys, which are formulated through alloying additions that stabilize the α and β phases3-5. Our work focuses on harnessing two of the most powerful stabilizing elements and strengtheners for α-β titanium alloys, oxygen and iron1-5, which are readily abundant. However, the embrittling effect of oxygen6,7, described colloquially as 'the kryptonite to titanium'8, and the microsegregation of iron9 have hindered their combination for the development of strong and ductile α-β titanium-oxygen-iron alloys. Here we integrate alloy design with additive manufacturing (AM) process design to demonstrate a series of titanium-oxygen-iron compositions that exhibit outstanding tensile properties. We explain the atomic-scale origins of these properties using various characterization techniques. The abundance of oxygen and iron and the process simplicity for net-shape or near-net-shape manufacturing by AM make these α-β titanium-oxygen-iron alloys attractive for a diverse range of applications. Furthermore, they offer promise for industrial-scale use of off-grade sponge titanium or sponge titanium-oxygen-iron10,11, an industrial waste product at present. The economic and environmental potential to reduce the carbon footprint of the energy-intensive sponge titanium production12 is substantial. 

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Strong and ductile titanium–oxygen–iron alloys by additive manufacturing

High oxygen-content titanium and titanium alloys made from powder

Oxidation behavior of low-cost CP-Ti powders for additive manufacturing via fluidization

Revealing dehydrogenation effect and resultant densification mechanism during pressureless sintering of TiH2 powder

Reducing porosity can help to improve the mechanical properties of an as-sintered material. An alternative is, however, to tailor the size, distribution and morphology of the residual pores without having to further reduce porosity. This study investigates the sintering of commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) in a flowing argon (Ar) atmosphere and compares the results with sintering in a vacuum of 10−2 Pa. The CP Ti sintered in Ar at 1300 °C for 2–3 h exhibited a marginally lower density but clearly better tensile ductility than Ti sintered in vacuum. The sensitivity of tensile ductility to residual pores was analyzed. Samples sintered in Ar exhibited much lower sensitivity than those sintered in vacuum. The superior ductility arises from the beneficial effect of sintering in Ar, which resulted in a greater number of but smaller residual pores with lower pore aspect ratios and finer matrix grains due to the grain-growth inhibiting role of the residual pores. The reason is attributed to the entrapped Ar in the closed pores during sintering, which is insoluble in Ti at the sintering temperature. The ever-increasing internal pore pressure prevents further pore shrinkage after reaching a critical size. The final pore size range is predicted and compared with experimental observations. Sintering of titanium in Ar is advantageous over sintering in vacuum in terms of both pore size distribution and pore morphology within a reasonable isothermal sintering period (e.g., 3 h at 1300 °C). Therefore, it can be more attractive for non-fatigue critical applications than sintering in vacuum.

Sintering of titanium in argon and vacuum: Pore evolution and mechanical properties

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High oxygen-content titanium and titanium alloys made from powder

Sintering of titanium in argon and vacuum: Pore evolution and mechanical properties