Effect of nano-carbon decorated Ti particle on powder feeding behavior of directed energy deposition

The use of small particles to decorate alloy surfaces to prepare powder materials for directed energy deposition (DED) of composites has received significant attention; however, minimal research has been conducted on how this decorative effect influences powder delivery behavior, despite the powder delivery behavior being an important factor in dictating the quality of the composites’ deposition. This work outlines the result of an investigation into the effect of the decorative effect of nanoparticles (nano-carbon) on the feeding behavior of metal powder (pure titanium). The experimental and simulation results show that nano-carbon decreases the collision recovery coefficient of the powder by 31.6%, which weakens the collision behavior between the powder and the nozzle wall, enhancing the convergence of the composite powder and increasing the velocity of the composite powder by 7.8% (experimental value). This study can serve as a foundation for improving the process development of DED-formed composites.