RMIT engineers develop stronger, cheaper 3D-printed titanium

RMIT University engineers have created a new 3D-printed titanium alloy that is 29 per cent cheaper to produce than standard titanium whilst delivering improved strength and performance, according to research published on Monday.

The team replaced expensive vanadium with readily available alternative materials to reduce costs. Lead researcher Ryan Brooke said the breakthrough addresses key barriers preventing widespread adoption of 3D printing in industry.

“3D printing allows faster, less wasteful and more tailorable production yet we're still relying on legacy alloys like Ti-6Al-4V that doesn't allow full capitalisation of this potential,” Brooke said. “It's like we've created an aeroplane and are still just driving it around the streets.”

The research, published in Nature Communications, outlines a framework for predicting printed grain structures in metallic alloys. The new alloy avoids column-shaped microstructures that cause uneven mechanical properties in some 3D-printed materials, printing more evenly instead.

Brooke, who recently completed market validation through CSIRO's ON Prime program, said industry representatives wanted significant advances rather than incremental improvements. “What I heard loud and clear from end users was that to bring new alloys to market, the benefits have to not just be minor incremental steps but a full leap forward,” he said.

RMIT has filed a provisional patent and is seeking commercial partners across aerospace and medical device industries. The university's Centre for Additive Manufacturing produced and tested samples at the Advanced Manufacturing Precinct.

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