6K Additive introduces ultra-low oxygen titanium powder
The availability of 500-700 ppm titanium powder significantly expands the number of parts that can be printed from a manufactured lot while maintaining material specifications
6K Additive, a division of 6K, a player in the sustainable production of engineered materials for additive manufacturing and lithium-ion batteries announced the availability of ultra-low oxygen titanium 64 with parts per million range of 500 – 700. 6K Additive’s ability to deliver titanium at these low oxygen levels at production scale greatly surpasses what is available for additive manufacturing today. 6K Additive’s ultra-low oxygen titanium enables customers to get additional print jobs through their additive manufacturing systems without sacrificing quality. The low oxygen Ti64 effectively lowers users’ overall cost for titanium parts with powder that stays with-in printable specification longer.
“The global supply chain crisis has caused volatility in the market for metals like titanium which leads to uncertainty in costs and availability. Our ability to provide low-oxygen titanium at production volumes enables our customer to stretch their powder use well beyond what’s available today, essentially increasing value and lowering costs for their Ti64 parts,” said Frank Roberts, president of 6K Additive.
Mark Barfoot, director of AM programs at EWI, commented, “When we talk to Ti64 users in the market, quality always is top priority with costs following a close second. Increasing the value of their Ti64 purchase by extending the life of the powder with more uses is a definite win.”
6K’s UniMelt® platform offers multifaceted sustainability benefits like no other material production platform in the world. 6K Additive recently commissioned Foresight Management to conduct a life cycle assessment of both their titanium and nickel powders. This study was conducted to quantify the environmental impacts associated with the production of printable metal powders and specifically compare atomization technology methods to 6K Additive’s. It was found that for Ti64, 6K’s UniMelt process at minimum delivered a 74% energy reduction and 78% carbon emission reduction from traditional processes.
In addition to low oxygen (500-700ppm) Ti64, 6K Additive produces a full suite of AM powders including Ni718, Ni625, stainless steel 316/17-4, copper 18150, GRCOP, refractory powders including tungsten, tantalum, and rhenium.
