Titanium alloys often cool and bond together in column-shaped crystals during the 3D-printing process, making them prone to cracking or distortion. The addition of copper seems to have fixed this issue.
Researchers at RMIT University in Australia said their titanium-copper alloy printed with “exceptional properties” without any special process control or additional treatment. The collaborative project involved leading researchers in the area of alloy composition and grain microstructure from RMIT University, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the University of Queensland and The Ohio State University.
Similar metal systems, according to one research scientist, could be treated in the same way to improve their properties.
