Advancing Titanium Alloy Design for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (Ti-ADVANCE)

Research Project, 2026 – 2028

Advanced Materials and Advanced Manufacturing are the backbone of Europe's industrial leadership. Titanium (Ti) alloys are indispensable for lightweight aerospace components, comprising nearly one-third of the structural weight in modern aero-engines for energy efficiency. Yet, over 95% of aerospace Ti components are still produced using conventional methods, even though additive manufacturing (AM) offers a sustainable alternative for producing complex structures with an almost 1:1 buy-to-fly ratio. The application of AM Ti alloys to safety-critical parts remains limited due to the overarching challenge in ensuring AM Ti alloys meet the stringent mechanical stability and reliability required by the aerospace sector.

Ti-ADVANCE addresses this challenge through an integrated alloy and process design strategy, introducing TRIP (Transformation-Induced Plasticity) and TWIP (Twinning-Induced Plasticity) mechanisms into AM Ti alloys to achieve superior strain-hardening, ductility, and damage tolerance. The research goal is twofold: (i) developing damage-tolerant, defect-resistant, and printable Ti alloys explicitly for AM; (ii) unveiling the multiscale deformation and damage mechanisms of printed TRIP/TWIP Ti alloys using state-of-the-art in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and X-ray micro-computed tomography.

The fellowship includes a Career Development Plan (CDP) to consolidate scientific expertise and strengthen transferable skills. Knowledge transfer will be enabled by a multidisciplinary team: Prof. Lars Nyborg and Prof. Uta Klement (Chalmers University of Technology), in collaboration with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and GKN Aerospace Sweden AB. By advancing alloy design, AM processing, and industrial validation, Ti-ADVANCE will reinforce Europe’s Key Enabling Technologies (KETs), supporting resource-efficient manufacturing, accelerating technology transfer, and contributing to the European Green Deal and climate neutrality goals.