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Titanium as a common material for 3D printing

• Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5): The absolute workhorse! It accounts for the vast majority of titanium alloy 3D printing applications. It provides a good balance of strength, toughness, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. There are standard grades and ELI grades for implants.

• Ti-6Al-4V ELI: Low interstitial element grade with higher purity, better ductility and fracture toughness, and is the first choice for medical implants.

• Pure titanium (Grade 1, 2): Lower strength, but excellent ductility, formability and corrosion resistance, mainly used for corrosion-resistant parts and certain biomedical applications.

• Ti-5Al-2.5Sn ELI: Another medical-grade alloy for low-temperature applications.

• Other alloys: Such as Ti-5553, Ti-6242, etc., used in more demanding aerospace applications (higher strength, temperature resistance). Beta titanium alloys are also of interest in the medical field due to their high strength and low modulus.

Advantages of titanium in 3D printing materials
1. Design freedom: Manufacture complex geometries (such as internal flow channels, lattice structures, topology optimization structures) that cannot be achieved by traditional methods (casting, forging, machining).

2. Lightweight: Significantly reduce the weight of parts through structural optimization (such as topology optimization, lattice structure) while maintaining or even improving performance.

3. High material utilization: Near net shape, reduce material waste (unmelted powder can be recycled), especially for expensive titanium alloys.

4. Rapid prototyping and production: Accelerate product development cycle, small batch production is economical, and no mold is required.

5. Functional integration: Integrate multiple parts into an integral print to reduce assembly, improve reliability, and reduce weight.

6. Customization: Especially suitable for personalized customization of medical implants and prostheses.

7. Repair ability: DED technology can repair expensive titanium alloy parts (such as aircraft engine blades).