Selective laser melting of a Ti-based bulk metallic glass

Abstract The Ti-based bulk metallic glass Ti47Cu38Zr7.5Fe2.5Sn2Si1Ag2 was fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM). The crystalline phases in the gas-atomized powder disappear after additive manufacturing and the SLM parts are fully glassy. All SLM samples reach a high relative density above 98.5% and a high compressive strength around 1700 MPa despite failing prematurely in comparison with as-cast rods. Our work identifies a Ti-based glass-forming alloy suitable for laser-based additive manufacturing and opens up new vistas for overcoming the intrinsic limitations of Ti-based BMGs in terms of size and geometry and for making them accessible to (biomedical) applications.