Characterization of Ti-Al-Er alloy produced via direct laser deposition.

Recent advances in manufacturing technology have led to the development of a new breed of advanced materials. These new materials are process dependent and would be difficult, if not impossible, to produce using conventional methods. Laser direct manufacturing (LDM) is a solid freeform fabrication process that enables the production of these advanced materials. LDM utilizes a high energy density heat source, powdered metal feedstock, and computer driven machine controls to produce bulk materials in near-net shape form. The combination of powdered metallurgy (P/M) and rapid solidification processing (RSP) allow bulk structures to be made with novel compositions and unique properties. In addition, near-net shape production eliminates the need for thermomechanical post-processing that can nullify some of the metallurgical advantages gained through RSP and P/M. These advantages have led to the development of alloys specifically tailored to the LDM process. This paper describes a dispersion hardened erbium-bearing titanium alloy developed to couple with the processing advantages found in the laser direct manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]