Powder metallurgy of titanium alloys: A brief review

The powder metallurgy (PM) of titanium alloys has received more and more attention in structural and biomedical applications owing to its low cost, near-net-shape formability, and competitive mechanical properties compared with wrought titanium alloys. In this work, we present an overview of the state-of-the-art research on PM titanium alloys, including the basic fabricating processes, the typical microstructure, and the advanced mechanical properties obtained recently. Furthermore, we aim to discuss the different selection criteria so as to find the appropriate PM process (pressureless sintering, pressure-assisted sintering, or thermo-mechanical processes) for manufacturing a particular component with a defined set of material properties. Finally, the present manuscript raises some open and critical issues in the field of PM titanium alloy that remain unresolved but are critical for future research.