Laser powder bed fusion processability of Ti-6Al-4V powder decorated by B4C particles

Understanding the laser-powder interaction during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of composite systems is vital in producing robust parts. The currently existing mechanically mixed composite powders are unable to meet the requirements of an ideal powder for the LPBF process, even if the metallic particles remain highly spherical with a second constituent attached to them. It was found that the presence of a reinforcing agent (i.e., B4C) on the surface of metallic particles (i.e., Ti-6Al-4V), rather than its embedment, hinders the full melting of the metallic constituent and deteriorates the powder flowability by creating inter-particle tangling. Despite the significant improvement in the optical absorption caused by the incorporation of the reinforcing agent, the composite powder showed inferior processability compared to the monolithic system.