The effect of powder recycling on the mechanical properties and microstructure of electron beam melted Ti-6Al-4 V specimens

The influence of powder recycling on Ti-6Al-4 V additive manufacturing, the correct number of cycles, the requirements of the recycling procedures, and possible post processing procedures - are still open questions. This research aims to answer these questions. Two identical test cylinder sets were printed, one from recycled powder and one from the new powder batch. The cylinders were printed by the Arcam EBM A2X machine using a start platform of 210 x 210 mm in size. Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is a well-known effective manufacturing process. This AM technology utilizes high power electron beam to produce layer-by-layer metal parts for various applications, such as fabrication of biomedical implants and aerospace components. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the printed specimens from the two sets (new and recycled Ti-6Al-4 V powder) were investigated before and after heat treatment.