In-melt electron analysis to accelerate process exploration of ceramics: Electron beam melting of TiB2

Abstract

To enhance the versatility of electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF), a widely utilized additive manufacturing (AM) technique for metallic materials, we propose a novel paradigm aimed at facilitating the exploration of the process parameters for less-studied materials, such as ceramics. The high melting points and poorly understood thermal properties of ceramics have constrained the comprehension of their melting behavior. In this study, titanium diboride (TiB₂) sintered bodies were subjected to spot melting under four distinct electron beam currents and four different exposure times. By introducing a novel in-melt electron analysis (IMEA) approach, the various stages of melting were clearly identified. The analysis and interpretation of IMEA signals were found to be consistent with experimental observations on the spot-melted surface of TiB₂. IMEA demonstrates significant potential for real-time process window optimization and quality assurance for challenging and novel materials.