Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
11:14
Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent
Published on: February 21, 2017
12.4K
Comparative Evaluation of Titanium Feedstock Powder Derived from Recycled Battlefield Scrap vs. Virgin Powder for
Kiran G Judd1, Kyle Tsaknopoulos1, Bryer C Sousa1
1Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 13, 2024
Summary
Recycled titanium scrap powder is a viable alternative to virgin powder for additive manufacturing, maintaining mechanical properties and ASTM standards. This sustainable approach reduces waste and lead times in titanium component production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Powder Metallurgy
Background:
- Gas atomization is crucial for producing metallic feedstock powders for additive manufacturing, including gas dynamic cold spray.
- The use of virgin titanium powder presents challenges related to lead times and waste generation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of using recycled titanium scrap powder as a substitute for virgin powder in additive manufacturing.
- To compare the characteristics of recycled titanium powders with virgin Ti-6Al-4V powder.
Main Methods:
- Atomization of recycled titanium scrap from battlefield sources using a mobile foundry.
- Comprehensive characterization including chemical analysis, particle size distribution, SEM, KF titration, XRD, MCT, and nanoindentation.
- Comparison of recycled powders against virgin Ti-6Al-4V powder.
Main Results:
- Recycled titanium powders demonstrated no significant variations compared to virgin Ti-6Al-4V powder.
- Mechanical capabilities, microstructural features, and ASTM-specified composition/impurity standards were maintained.
- Recycled titanium powder is a viable alternative without compromising material quality.
Conclusions:
- Recycled titanium powder offers a sustainable and effective feedstock for additive manufacturing processes like cold spray.
- This approach can mitigate long lead times and reduce waste in titanium component production.
- Future research will focus on optimizing cold spray parameters for recycled titanium feedstock.
