Custom titanium alloy for 3-d printing and method of making same

Abstract

A Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy composition having enhanced strength resulting from the addition of one or more of the following elements without requiring an increase in oxygen content: Aluminum Iron Nitrogen Carbon The composition may also be used for Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock.

1 . An enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy having the following composition by weight percent:
 Aluminum—6.3 to 6.7%   Vanadium—4.2 to 4.5%   Iron—0.25 to 0.4%   Oxygen—0.1 to 0.13%   Nitrogen—0.02 to 0.05%   Carbon—0.04 to 0.08%   Hydrogen—0 to 0.0125%   Other Elements—0 to 0.4%   Titanium—Balance.   
     
     
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         8 . An enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock having the following composition by weight percent:
 Aluminum—6.44   Vanadium—4.28   Iron—0.20   Oxygen—0.09   Nitrogen—0.04   Carbon—0.05   Hydrogen—0.002   Yttrium—<0.001   Titanium—Balance.   
     
     
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         16 . A method of increasing the strength of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy powder or starting bar stock without increasing oxygen content, comprising adding to the powder or starting bar stock one or more of the following elements:
 Aluminum   Iron   Nitrogen   Carbon,   wherein in the case of alloy powder, the addition results in the following weight percent of the elements for the alloy powder:   Aluminum—6.3 to 6.7%   Iron—0.25 to 0.4%   Nitrogen—0.02 to 0.05%   Carbon—0.04 to 0.08%; and   wherein in the case of starting bar stock, the addition results in the following weight percent of the elements for the starting bar stock:   Aluminum—6.3% to 6.7%   Iron—0.15% to 0.30%   Nitrogen—0.02% to 0.05%   Carbon—0.04% to 0.08%.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         19 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy of  claim 1  with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object. 
     
     
         20 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a recycled powder alloy of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the recycled powder alloy of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy is obtained from an earlier processing of the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy of  claim 1  with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology. 
     
     
         21 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is prepared from the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         22 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is produced by the method of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         23 . A 3-D printing method comprising processing a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy with a powder-bed printing system based on e-beam, a laser direct melt technology, or a binder-jet technology, to produce a 3-D printed object, wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is prepared from a Ti-6Al-4V starting bar stock, which is produced by the method of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         24 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
 1) the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy of  claim 1 ; and   2) a 3-D printer.   
     
     
         25 . The 3-D printing system of  claim 24 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system. 
     
     
         26 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
 1) the enhanced strength Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock of  claim 8 ; and   2) a 3-D printer.   
     
     
         27 . The 3-D printing system of  claim 26 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system. 
     
     
         28 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
 1) a Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy; and   2) a 3-D printer,   wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium powder alloy is produced by the method of  claim 16 .   
     
     
         29 . The 3-D printing system of  claim 28 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system. 
     
     
         30 . A 3-D printing system comprising:
 1) a Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock; and   2) a 3-D printer,   wherein the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy starting bar stock is produced by the method of  claim 16 .   
     
     
         31 . The 3-D printing system of  claim 30 , wherein the 3-D printer is an e-beam based powder-bed printing system, a laser direct melt technology based printing system, or a binder-jet technology based printing system.