Study on Morphology, Microstructure, and Tribo-Corrosion Behavior of Laser-Powder-Bed-Fusion-Fabricated Titanium Alloy

The complicated interplay between microstructure and tribo-corrosion behavior has long been an intriguing problem in the field of advanced materials engineering. In this study, the effects of different laser energy densities (LEDs) on the surface morphology, microstructure, and tribo-corrosion behavior of Ti-6Al-4V produced using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology are systematically investigated. The surface morphology and microstructure of the specimens are characterized in detail using various characterization techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, a self-assembled friction-corrosion equipment is employed to evaluate the tribo-corrosion behavior of the samples at different LED settings. In the results, it is shown that the LED has a significant effect on the surface morphology, microstructure, and tribo-corrosion behavior of the Ti-6Al-4V. Increasing the LED leads to reduced surface roughness, weakened keyhole and segregation phenomena, more distinct beta grain boundaries, and coarser acicular alpha phase. Moreover, the tribo-corrosion behavior initially improves and then declines with increasing LED. Furthermore, tribo-corrosion product and mechanism of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy prepared by LPBF are revealed. This study is of great significance for understanding the relationship between the microstructure and tribo-corrosion behavior of Ti-6Al-4V manufactured by LPBF. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V's surface roughness, microstructure, and tribo-corrosion are studied with laser energy density (LED). In this study, the significance of understanding the intricate relationship between microstructure and tribo-corrosion in LPBF-produced Ti-6Al-4V is highlighted, emphasizing the need for process optimization and exploring LED's influence mechanisms for enhanced application performance in special environments.image (c) 2023 WILEY-VCH GmbH