A comparative study on laser processing of commercially available titanium aluminide (TI-48AL-2CR-2NB) and in-situ alloying of titanium aluminide

Abstract

Titanium aluminides (TiAl) are acknowledged as promising high temperature structural materials due to their high melting point, high strength to density, high elastic modulus and high creep strength. Due to their low ductility, it is difficult to machine post manufacturing with conventional manufacturing techniques. TiAl components have been successfully produced using the cast methods, but prove to be very expensive and time consuming. In situ alloying, using laser processing, is a potential method of manufacture of these alloys; as elemental powders can be fed separately from different powder feeders and the feed rate can be controlled, independently, to control the composition and resulting microstructure.