Powder contamination during laser powder bed fusion: Inconel 718 in Ti6Al4V

Powder contamination during laser powder bed fusion is a critical concern for the quality assurance of parts. Herein, we studied the effect of Inconel 718 contamination on the properties of printed Ti6Al4V, two commonly printed alloys. Contaminated parts exhibited visual and microstructural defects, and a mere 0.5 wt% IN718 contamination resulted in a 43 % reduction in plastic strain without noticing surface-level cracking. Further contamination of 2.5 wt% IN718 promotes surface cracking that renders the material unable to deform plastically, highlighting the importance of proper powder handling and the detrimental effects that even small amounts of contaminants can have on AM-produced components.