Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have reportedly produced crack free and dense molybdenum titanium carbide parts using electron beam powder bed fusion.
Molybdenum titanium carbide is a refractory metal alloy that can withstand extreme temperature environments. According to the company, molybdenum and associated alloys can be difficult to process through traditional manufacturing because of their high melting temperature, reactivity with oxygen and brittleness.
To address these shortcomings, the team formed a Mo metal matrix composite by mixing molybdenum and titanium carbide powders and used an electron beam to melt the mixture, which allowed them to control the cooling rate and improve the quality of the final part.
‘Our results showed that fabrication from a mechanically alloyed metal matrix composite powder is feasible,’ said Mike Kirka, materials scientist at the laboratory. ‘The structures formed by the fused powders can withstand high temperatures, indicating that molybdenum and its alloys can be used for aerospace and energy conversion applications.’
The full research can be found here.
This story uses material from Oak Ridge, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
