Comparative Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis of the Production of Ti6Al4V-TiC Metal–Matrix Composite Powder by High-Energy Ball Milling and Ti6Al4V Powder by Gas Atomization

Mario Santiago-Herrera, Jesús Ibáñez, Marco De Pamphilis, Jesús Manuel Alegre, Juan Antonio Tamayo-Ramos, Sonia Martel-Martín () and Rocío Barros ()
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Mario Santiago-Herrera: International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM), University of Burgos, Centro de I+D+I, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Jesús Ibáñez: International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM), University of Burgos, Centro de I+D+I, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Marco De Pamphilis: MBN Nanomaterialia S.p.A, Via Giacomo Bortolan 42, 31050 Vascon di Carbonera, Italy
Jesús Manuel Alegre: Structural Integrity Research Group, Universidad de Burgos, Avenida Cantabria s/n, 09006 Burgos, Spain
Juan Antonio Tamayo-Ramos: International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM), University of Burgos, Centro de I+D+I, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Sonia Martel-Martín: International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM), University of Burgos, Centro de I+D+I, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Rocío Barros: International Research Center in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM), University of Burgos, Centro de I+D+I, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Environmental awareness and the necessary reduction in costs in industrial processes has facilitated the development of novel techniques such as Additive Manufacturing, decreasing the amount of raw materials and energy needed. The longing for improved materials with different and enhanced properties has resulted in research efforts in the Metal Matrix Composites field. These two novelties combined minimise environmental impacts and costs without compromising technical properties. Two technologies can feed Additive Manufacturing techniques with metallic powder: Gas Atomization and High Energy Ball Milling. This study provides a comparative Life Cycle Assessment of these technologies to produce one kilogram of metallic powder for the Directed Energy Deposition technique: a Ti6Al4V alloy, and a Ti6Al4V-TiC Metal–Matrix Composite, respectively. The LCA methodology is according to ISO 14040:2006, and large amounts of information on the use of raw materials, energy consumption, and environmental impacts is provided. Different impact categories following the Environmental Footprint methodology were analysed, showing a big difference between both technologies, with an 87.8% reduction of kg CO 2 eq. emitted by High Energy Ball Milling in comparison with Gas Atomization. In addition, an economic analysis was performed, addressing the viability perspective and decision making and showing a 17.2% cost reduction in the conventional process.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; metal–matrix composite; additive manufacturing; titanium; gas atomization; high energy ball milling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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