Novel Approach of Electroshock Treatment for Defect Repair in Near-β Titanium Alloy Manufactured via Directed Energy Deposition

A subsecond and novel approach of electroshock treatment (EST) is used in this study to repair defects in directed-energy-deposited Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr-1Zr near-β titanium alloy. After EST, the porosity of the specimen decreased significantly from 0.81 to 0.1 pct. Large cracks observed at the bottom of the above mentioned near-β titanium alloy became intermittent small cracks and the number of voids decreased. The defects in the top and middle regions of the specimens are repaired. The potential defect repair is attributable to energy concentration, which promoted the coalescence of defect tips, and thermal stresses, which compressed the defects inward and closed them.