Titanium-tantalum (Ti-Ta) high-temperature shape memory alloys (HT-SMAs) are promising candidate materials for actuator applications at elevated temperatures. Researchers of the Institute of Materials Engineering, in collaboration with partners from Taniobis GmbH in Germany and RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing in Australia, have conducted a novel study on these smart materials. The authors report on the microstructure and functional properties of an additively manufactured Ti-30Ta (at.%) alloy. For the first time, Ti-Ta HT-SMA bulk structures were successfully processed using electron beam-based powder bed fusion (PBF-EB/M) technique. PBF-EB/M processed structures with near full density and an isotropic microstructure were obtained. Following an adequate post-process heat treatment, a reversible martensitic phase transformation well above 100°C was found.

The article titled "Electron beam powder bed fusion of Ti-30Ta high-temperature shape memory alloy: microstructure and phase transformation behaviour" is out now in the Journal of Virtual and Physical Prototyping: https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2024.2358107

This work was supported by Alexander von Humboldt foundation and is embedded in the projectBiTWerk funded by the University of Kassel.