Recommended Vacuum Furnace Types for 3D Printed Titanium Alloy/Cemented Carbide Sintering

Muffle Furnace
- Box Furnace
- Bell Furnace
- Crucible Furnace
- Trolley Furnace
- Atmosphere Furnace
Tube Furnace
Vacuum Furnace
- Fiber Vacuum Furnace
- Heat Shield Vacuum Furnace
- Graphite Vacuum Furnace
- Vacuum Hot Pressing Furnace
- Vacuum Carbon Tube Furnace
Accessory For Heating Furnaces

Leave Message

All products are customizable, leave message immediately, we will reply as soon as possible.

Recommended Vacuum Furnace Types for 3D Printed Titanium Alloy/Cemented Carbide Sintering

I. Core Premise for Selection: Clarify Sintering Characteristics of 3D Printed Materials

Due to differences in chemical activity and densification requirements between 3D printed titanium alloys and cemented carbides (such as WC-Co series), there are significant variations in the core index requirements for vacuum furnaces. Prior to selection, focus on the material-specific process pain points:

1. Core Requirements for Titanium Alloy Sintering

Titanium alloys exhibit high chemical activity and are prone to reacting with oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen at high temperatures to form oxides, which degrade toughness and fatigue life. Even trace oxygen content can deteriorate mechanical properties. Strict grain growth control is also required to ensure comprehensive performance. Core requirements include: ultimate vacuum degree ≥ 6.67×10⁻⁴ Pa, oxygen content controlled below 0.15%, temperature control accuracy ±1℃, sintering temperature range of 1200-1300℃, and full protection with high-purity inert gases (argon/nitrogen) throughout the process .

2. Core Requirements for Cemented Carbide Sintering

Cemented carbides represented by WC-Co require a balance between degreasing efficiency and densification, avoiding evaporation loss of the binder phase (Co) while inhibiting abnormal grain growth. Core requirements include: working vacuum degree of 10⁻¹-10 Pa, sintering temperature of 1400-1600℃, support for staged heating degreasing (300-600℃) and heat preservation processes, and precise air pressure regulation for inert gas protection .

II. Recommended Vacuum Furnace Types and Key Parameters

1. Preferred Furnace Types for Titanium Alloy Sintering

(1) Vacuum Molybdenum Strip Furnace

Application Scenarios: Small-to-medium batch 3D printed titanium alloy structural components (e.g., aerospace parts, medical devices), especially suitable for titanium alloys such as TC4 and TA2. Core Advantages: Adopts molybdenum strip heating elements and tungsten-rhenium thermocouples for excellent temperature field uniformity. Equipped with all-metal heat shields (molybdenum screen + 310S stainless steel screen) to avoid volatile contamination, with an ultimate vacuum degree of up to 6.67×10⁻⁴ Pa, meeting high-purity sintering needs. Recommended Parameters: Furnace size 400×300×300mm (customizable), maximum power 40KW, heating rate ≤30℃/min, pressure rise rate ≤2Pa/h, and UPS uninterruptible power supply to ensure process continuity .

(2) Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) Furnace

Application Scenarios: High-end precision titanium alloy components (e.g., engine blades) requiring further elimination of closed pores and improved densification (up to 99.5% or higher). Core Advantages: Sintering under 200-300MPa argon pressure effectively reduces titanium alloy oxygen content and improves fatigue performance. Notes: High equipment cost, suitable for mass production with extremely high performance requirements, requiring supporting high-purity gas purification systems .

2. Preferred Furnace Types for Cemented Carbide Sintering

(1) Graphite-Heated Vacuum Sintering Furnace

Application Scenarios: Large-scale 3D printed cemented carbide cutting tools and molds, supporting materials such as WC-Co and WC-TiC-Co. Core Advantages: Graphite heating elements enable high-temperature sintering at 1500-2000℃, with low thermal inertia and controllable heating rate (5-10℃/min), adapting to staged degreasing-pre-sintering-main sintering processes. Inert gas protection inhibits graphite oxidation and binder phase evaporation. Recommended Parameters: Ultimate vacuum degree ≤1×10⁻³ Pa, temperature control accuracy ±1℃, gas path system with rotameter (2-30L/min), supporting top-inlet and bottom-outlet gas circulation for uniform furnace atmosphere .

(2) Atmosphere Vacuum Sintering Furnace

Application Scenarios: 3D printed cemented carbide green compacts containing binders, requiring precise control of degreasing processes and residual carbon content. Core Advantages: Equipped with independent degreasing channels and adjustable pressure explosion-proof systems (explosion-proof pressure 0.01MPa), enabling dynamic atmosphere control with simultaneous gas inlet and outlet to effectively remove binder decomposition gases and avoid pore defects. Recommended Parameters: Rated temperature 1400℃, inflation pressure ≤0.02MPa, dual electronic and mechanical pressure monitoring, and water cooling system for long-term stable operation .

III. Key Considerations for Selection

1. Vacuum System Configuration: Prioritize "mechanical pump + molecular pump" combinations. Titanium alloy sintering requires additional vacuum purification devices, while cemented carbide sintering demands high vacuum gauge accuracy (error ≤±5%).

2. Temperature Control and Safety Systems: Must feature PID closed-loop temperature control, compatibility with tungsten-rhenium thermocouples (for titanium alloys) and graphite thermocouples (for cemented carbides), water cooling protection (furnace wall temperature ≤55℃), power failure alarm, and emergency exhaust functions.

3. Process Adaptability: Equipment should support custom heating curves, heat preservation time, and atmosphere parameters. Titanium alloy sintering furnaces need inert gas replacement capability, while cemented carbide sintering furnaces require temperature gradient control during degreasing.

4. Capacity and Customization: Select furnace size based on 3D printing volume. Horizontal side-door structures (easy loading/unloading) are suitable for small-to-medium batches, while vertical multi-zone furnaces can be customized for large-scale production. Consider equipment weight and installation environment compatibility (e.g., water quality, altitude requirements) .

Zhengzhou Protech Technology Co.,LTD is a professional manufacturer specializing in tube furnaces, muffle furnaces, atmosphere furnaces, and vacuum furnaces. We are committed to providing targeted solutions to meet your diverse heating equipment needs.
For customized heating solutions tailored to your specific requirements, feel free to get in touch with us:
WhatsApp: +86 17719806024
Email: info@lab-furnace.com

NEWS

Product

Contact Us

Leave Message

Recommended Vacuum Furnace Types for 3D Printed Titanium Alloy/Cemented Carbide Sintering

Please leave your requirements

Contact

Products