Laser directed energy deposition of Ti-1Al-8V-5Fe alloy: From zero to significant tensile plasticity

Titanium alloy Ti-1Al-8V-5Fe (Ti-185) has essentially remained an experimental alloy since its invention because of the formation of iron-stabilized beta-flecks in conventional manufacturing. Laser directed energy deposition (L-DED) has the potential to avoid this issue while realizing in-situ ageing. This work investigates the L-DED fabrication of Ti-185 alloy. We show that the precipitate phases along the build height of the Ti-185 plate sample have a decisive influence on its tensile properties. Due to the formation of the embrittling isothermal omega-phase (ωiso), the top region of the Ti-185 plate sample exhibited zero plasticity, while the middle region, which is free of the omega-phase (ω), demonstrated significant tensile ductility (20 ± 2 %) and strength (1042 ± 13 MPa). The formation of each phase is elucidated using simulated temperature evolution profiles in the plate sample. Furthermore, we show that converting the isothermal omega-phase into the athermal omega-phase (ωath) through beta-annealing and water quenching restores tensile ductility.