Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Powder bed fusion using a laser beam (PBF-LB) offers a suitable alternative to manufacturing Ti65 with intricate geometries and internal structures in hypersonic aerospace applications. However, issues such as undesirable surface roughness, defect formation, and microstructural inhomogeneity remain...

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Main Authors: Zhe Liu, Ju Wang, Ge Yu, Xiaodan Li, Meng Li, Xizhong An, Jiaqiang Ni, Haiyang Zhao, Qianya Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/11/6220
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author Zhe Liu
Ju Wang
Ge Yu
Xiaodan Li
Meng Li
Xizhong An
Jiaqiang Ni
Haiyang Zhao
Qianya Ma
author_facet Zhe Liu
Ju Wang
Ge Yu
Xiaodan Li
Meng Li
Xizhong An
Jiaqiang Ni
Haiyang Zhao
Qianya Ma
author_sort Zhe Liu
collection DOAJ
description Powder bed fusion using a laser beam (PBF-LB) offers a suitable alternative to manufacturing Ti65 with intricate geometries and internal structures in hypersonic aerospace applications. However, issues such as undesirable surface roughness, defect formation, and microstructural inhomogeneity remain critical barriers to its wide application. In this study, a coupled discrete element method–computational fluid dynamics (DEM-CFD) model was utilized to investigate the spreading behavior of Ti65 powder in a multi-layer PBF-LB process. The macro- and microscopic characteristics of the powder beds were systematically analyzed across different layers and regions under various spreading velocities. The results show that the packing density and uniformity of the powder beds in multi-layer PBF-LB of Ti65 powder improves as the number of solidified layers increases. Poor bed quality is observed in the first two layers due to a strong boundary effect, while a stable and denser powder bed emerges from the fourth layer. The presence of a previously solidified region strongly influences its neighboring unsolidified areas, enhancing density in the upstream region and causing looser packing downstream. Additionally, due to the existence of a solidified region, the height of the powder bed progressively decreases along the spreading direction.
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spelling doaj-art-0255d5fe26094adfbf93d33ad6d96c762025-08-20T03:46:50ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-05-011511622010.3390/app15116220Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed FusionZhe Liu0Ju Wang1Ge Yu2Xiaodan Li3Meng Li4Xizhong An5Jiaqiang Ni6Haiyang Zhao7Qianya Ma8Key Laboratory for Ecological Metallurgy of Multimetallic Mineral of Ministry of Education, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, ChinaKey Laboratory for Ecological Metallurgy of Multimetallic Mineral of Ministry of Education, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, ChinaKey Laboratory for Ecological Metallurgy of Multimetallic Mineral of Ministry of Education, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, ChinaShenyang Aircraft Industry Group Co., Ltd., Shenyang 110850, ChinaKey Laboratory for Ecological Metallurgy of Multimetallic Mineral of Ministry of Education, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, ChinaKey Laboratory for Ecological Metallurgy of Multimetallic Mineral of Ministry of Education, School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, ChinaShenyang Aircraft Industry Group Co., Ltd., Shenyang 110850, ChinaSchool of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, AustraliaSchool of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, ChinaPowder bed fusion using a laser beam (PBF-LB) offers a suitable alternative to manufacturing Ti65 with intricate geometries and internal structures in hypersonic aerospace applications. However, issues such as undesirable surface roughness, defect formation, and microstructural inhomogeneity remain critical barriers to its wide application. In this study, a coupled discrete element method–computational fluid dynamics (DEM-CFD) model was utilized to investigate the spreading behavior of Ti65 powder in a multi-layer PBF-LB process. The macro- and microscopic characteristics of the powder beds were systematically analyzed across different layers and regions under various spreading velocities. The results show that the packing density and uniformity of the powder beds in multi-layer PBF-LB of Ti65 powder improves as the number of solidified layers increases. Poor bed quality is observed in the first two layers due to a strong boundary effect, while a stable and denser powder bed emerges from the fourth layer. The presence of a previously solidified region strongly influences its neighboring unsolidified areas, enhancing density in the upstream region and causing looser packing downstream. Additionally, due to the existence of a solidified region, the height of the powder bed progressively decreases along the spreading direction.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/11/6220Ti65 alloymulti-layer powder spreadingDEM-CFDpowder bed quality
spellingShingle Zhe Liu
Ju Wang
Ge Yu
Xiaodan Li
Meng Li
Xizhong An
Jiaqiang Ni
Haiyang Zhao
Qianya Ma
Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Applied Sciences
Ti65 alloy
multi-layer powder spreading
DEM-CFD
powder bed quality
title Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed Fusion
title_full Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed Fusion
title_fullStr Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed Fusion
title_full_unstemmed Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed Fusion
title_short Investigation of Ti65 Powder Spreading Behavior in Multi-Layer Laser Powder Bed Fusion
title_sort investigation of ti65 powder spreading behavior in multi layer laser powder bed fusion
topic Ti65 alloy
multi-layer powder spreading
DEM-CFD
powder bed quality
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/11/6220
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