Evaluation of the possibility of obtaining spherical powders of titanium alloy Ti 6Al 4V by supersonic reverse polarity plasma torch for use in additive manufacturing
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1
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Material Joining and Advanced Manufacturing, China-Ukraine Institute of Welding, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, 363, Changxing Road, Tianhe, Guangzhou, 510650, China
2
E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 11 Kazymyr Malevych St., 03150 Kyiv, Ukraine
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Dmytro Strohonov
E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 11 Kazymyr Malevych St., 03150 Kyiv, Ukraine
Adv. Sci. Technol. Res. J. 2025; 19(8)
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ABSTRACT
This work demonstrates the possibility of producing spherical Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5 alloy powders with superior technological properties compared to those obtained through conventional industrial gas atomization methods for additive manufacturing, by utilizing plasma atomization of a 1.0 mm diameter solid wire. The process employs supersonic plasma jets generated by a DC reverse polarity plasma torch with vortex arc stabilization. The plasma torch has a copper hollow electrode anode and a special diffusive nozzle cathode. Analysis of the particle size distribution of the powder showed the main fraction of -140 μm 96 %wt., and the amount of the finely divided fraction of -63 μm is up to 55-60 %wt. Also, using subsonic jet had been give fraction -250 μm, which is 97 %wt., and the amount of the finely-divided fraction -63 μm does not exceed 30 %wt. The study of the shape and structure properties of Ti 6Al 4V Grade 5 powder showed that the sphericity coefficient reaches up to 0.9, the number of defects in the form of satellites and irregular particles does not exceed 1 %wt. In terms of technological characteristics, Ti 6Al 4V Grade 5 powder obtained by the adopted technique is on par with the industrial method of producing spherical powders for additive manufactuing by the direct polarity plasma torches.