Selective laser melting of Ti6Al4V alloy for biomedical applications: Temperature monitoring and microstructural evolution

• Temperature measurements of molten pool were done using CCD camera.
• Temperature of molten pool versus scanning speed and laser power was determined.
• Microstructures and microhardness of SLM samples were analyzed.
• Influence of heat treatment on microstructure were discussed and presented.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a kind of additive manufacturing where parts are made directly from 3D CAD data layer-by-layer from powder material. SLM products are used in various industries including aerospace, automotive, electronic, chemical, biomedical and other high-tech areas. The properties of the parts produced by SLM depend strongly on the material nature, characteristics of each single track and each single layer, as well as the strength of the connections between them. Studying the temperature distribution during SLM is important because temperature gradient and heat transfer determine the microstructure and finally mechanical properties of the SLM part. In this study a CCD camera was applied for determination of the surface temperature distribution and the molten pool size of Ti6Al4V alloy. The investigation of the microstructure evolution after different heat treatments was carried out to determine the microstructure in terms of applicability for the biomedical industry.