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Sains Malaysiana 54(8)(2025): 2045-2057
http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2025-5408-14
Microstructural Evolution and Performance of
Heat-Treated Ti6Al4V in Laser Powder Bed Fusion
(Evolusi Mikrostruktur dan Prestasi TI6AL4V Haba
Terawat Haba dalam Pelakuran Lapisan Serbuk Laser)
FARHANA MOHD FOUDZI1,2,*,
MINHALINA AHMAD BUHAIRI1,2,3, FATHIN ILIANA JAMHARI1,2,
NORHAMIDI MUHAMAD1,2, INTAN FADHLINA MOHAMED1,2, ABU
BAKAR SULONG1,2, NASHRAH HANI JAMADON1,2 & NABILAH
AFIQAH MOHD RADZUAN1,2
1Advanced
Manufacturing Research Group, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi,
Selangor, Malaysia
2Department of
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built
Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor,
Malaysia
3Doctoral School
on Materials Science and Technologies, Óbuda University, Nepszinhaz u. 8, 1081
Budapest, Hungary
Received: 21 February 2025/Accepted: 16 June 2025
Abstract
Ti6Al4V parts produced via laser powder
bed fusion (LPBF) frequently exhibit high residual stress, where heat treatment
has been utilized to relieve this stress. This study aims to investigate the
effect of annealing heat treatment on the overall performance of Ti6Al4V
fabricated using LPBF. Printed Ti6Al4V samples were heat treated at 935 °C for
8 hours with a heating rate of 5 °C/min and a cooling rate of 0.60 °C/min. The
overall performance such as physical properties, mechanical properties and
microstructure observation between as-built and heat-treated samples were
compared. The heat treatment was able to produce high-density parts, with
surfaces as smooth as 5.70 μm, reaching up to 99.28% density. The
annealing process significantly improved the ductility of Ti6Al4V parts by up
to 231%, while decreasing the tensile strength by 28% and the hardness by 13%.
The microstructure of as-built samples shifts from acicular α' martensite
to α+β phases after annealing at 935 °C for 8 hours, supporting the
changes in mechanical performance. This preliminary study concludes that the
heat treatment used following LPBF printing can create Ti6Al4V samples with
acceptable physical, mechanical, and microstructure properties.
Keywords: Hardness; heat treatment;
laser powder bed fusion; microstructure; Ti6Al4V
Abstrak
Produk
Ti6Al4V yang dihasilkan melalui kaedah pelakuran lapisan serbuk laser (LPBF) kebiasaannya
menjana tegasan baki yang tinggi dengan rawatan haba digunakan untuk
mengurangkan tegasan ini. Penyelidikan ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kesan
rawatan haba penyepuhlindapan ke atas prestasi keseluruhan produk Ti6Al4V yang
dihasilkan menggunakan LPBF. Sampel Ti6Al4V telah dirawat haba pada 935 °C
selama 8 jam menggunakan kadar pemanasan sebanyak 5 °C/min dan kadar penyejukan
sebanyak 0.60 °C/min. Prestasi keseluruhan merangkumi sifat fizikal, sifat
mekanikal dan analisis mikrostruktur antara sampel sebelum dan selepas dirawat
haba telah dibandingkan. Rawatan haba yang telah dijalankan mampu menghasilkan
sampel berketumpatan setinggi
99.28% dengan permukaan selicin 5.70 μm. Proses penyepuhlindapan ini juga berjaya
meningkatkan kemuluran sampel Ti6Al4V sebanyak 231%, namun proses ini mengurangkan
kekuatan tegangan sebanyak 28% dan kekerasan sebanyak 13%. Mikrostruktur sampel
yang telah dicetak 3D berubah daripada jejarum α' martensit kepada fasa
campuran α+β selepas dirawat haba pada 935 °C selama 8 jam dan ini
menyokong perubahan sifat mekanikal. Kajian awal ini menyimpulkan bahawa
rawatan haba yang digunakan selepas percetakan LPBF mampu menghasilkan sampel
Ti6Al4V dengan sifat fizikal, mekanikal dan mikrostruktur yang boleh diterima.
Kata kunci: Kekerasan; mikrostruktur; pelakuran lapisan serbuk laser; rawatan haba; Ti6Al4V
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*Corresponding
author; email: farhana.foudzi@ukm.edu.my
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