Recycling of Ti–6Al–4V chips for closed-loop manufacturing
Berend Denkena, Marc-André Dittrich, Vino Suntharakumaran, Simon Kettelmann
Abstract
Titanium alloys are an important material for several industries, despite being very energy intensive to produce. This study aims to maximize chip recyclability by adjusting the milling process and subsequent processing steps. The results show that the chip morphology determines the recyclability significantly. Also, a cleaning process is established to reduce chemical contamination. Based on the results a closed-loop material cycle for Ti–6Al–4V powder for additive manufacturing is presented. It is shown that the powder and material properties of printed samples are similar to those of conventional materials, while energy savings of up 77 % can be achieved.
Topics & Concepts
Closed loopLoop (graph theory)Manufacturing engineeringMaterials scienceMechanical engineeringEngineeringEngineering drawingComputer scienceMetallurgyControl engineeringMathematicsCombinatoricsAdvanced materials and compositesTitanium Alloys Microstructure and PropertiesIntermetallics and Advanced Alloy Properties