---
_id: '63072'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: <jats:p>Titanium alloys are widely employed for biomedical implants due to
    their high strength, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance, yet their lack
    of intrinsic antibacterial activity remains a major limitation. Incorporating
    copper, an antibacterial and β-stabilising element, offers a promising strategy
    to enhance implant performance. This study investigates Ti-6Al-7Nb modified with
    1–9 wt.% Cu via in situ alloying during metal-based laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M),
    with the aim of assessing processability, microstructural evolution, and mechanical
    properties. Highly dense samples (&gt;99.9%) were produced across all Cu levels,
    though chemical homogeneity strongly depended on processing parameters. Increasing
    Cu content promoted β-phase stabilisation, Ti2Cu precipitation, and pronounced
    grain refinement. Hardness and yield strength increased nearly linearly with Cu
    addition, while ductility decreased sharply at ≥5 wt.% Cu due to intermetallic
    formation, hot cracking, and brittle fracture. These results illustrate both the
    opportunities and constraints of rapid alloy screening via PBF-LB/M. Overall,
    moderate Cu additions of 1–3 wt.% provide the most favourable balance between
    mechanical performance, manufacturability, and potential antibacterial functionality.
    These findings provide a clear guideline for the design of Cu-functionalised titanium
    implants and demonstrate the efficiency of in situ alloy screening for accelerated
    materials development.</jats:p>
article_number: '1053'
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Paul
  full_name: Steinmeier, Paul
  last_name: Steinmeier
- first_name: Kay-Peter
  full_name: Hoyer, Kay-Peter
  last_name: Hoyer
- first_name: Nelson Filipe
  full_name: Lopes Dias, Nelson Filipe
  last_name: Lopes Dias
- first_name: Reiner
  full_name: Zielke, Reiner
  last_name: Zielke
- first_name: Wolfgang
  full_name: Tillmann, Wolfgang
  last_name: Tillmann
- first_name: Mirko
  full_name: Schaper, Mirko
  last_name: Schaper
citation:
  ama: Steinmeier P, Hoyer K-P, Lopes Dias NF, Zielke R, Tillmann W, Schaper M. In
    Situ Alloying of Ti-6Al-7Nb with Copper Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion. <i>Crystals</i>.
    2025;15(12). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053">10.3390/cryst15121053</a>
  apa: Steinmeier, P., Hoyer, K.-P., Lopes Dias, N. F., Zielke, R., Tillmann, W.,
    &#38; Schaper, M. (2025). In Situ Alloying of Ti-6Al-7Nb with Copper Using Laser
    Powder Bed Fusion. <i>Crystals</i>, <i>15</i>(12), Article 1053. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053">https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Steinmeier_Hoyer_Lopes Dias_Zielke_Tillmann_Schaper_2025, title={In
    Situ Alloying of Ti-6Al-7Nb with Copper Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion}, volume={15},
    DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053">10.3390/cryst15121053</a>},
    number={121053}, journal={Crystals}, publisher={MDPI AG}, author={Steinmeier,
    Paul and Hoyer, Kay-Peter and Lopes Dias, Nelson Filipe and Zielke, Reiner and
    Tillmann, Wolfgang and Schaper, Mirko}, year={2025} }'
  chicago: Steinmeier, Paul, Kay-Peter Hoyer, Nelson Filipe Lopes Dias, Reiner Zielke,
    Wolfgang Tillmann, and Mirko Schaper. “In Situ Alloying of Ti-6Al-7Nb with Copper
    Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion.” <i>Crystals</i> 15, no. 12 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053">https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053</a>.
  ieee: 'P. Steinmeier, K.-P. Hoyer, N. F. Lopes Dias, R. Zielke, W. Tillmann, and
    M. Schaper, “In Situ Alloying of Ti-6Al-7Nb with Copper Using Laser Powder Bed
    Fusion,” <i>Crystals</i>, vol. 15, no. 12, Art. no. 1053, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053">10.3390/cryst15121053</a>.'
  mla: Steinmeier, Paul, et al. “In Situ Alloying of Ti-6Al-7Nb with Copper Using
    Laser Powder Bed Fusion.” <i>Crystals</i>, vol. 15, no. 12, 1053, MDPI AG, 2025,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053">10.3390/cryst15121053</a>.
  short: P. Steinmeier, K.-P. Hoyer, N.F. Lopes Dias, R. Zielke, W. Tillmann, M. Schaper,
    Crystals 15 (2025).
date_created: 2025-12-12T13:11:59Z
date_updated: 2025-12-12T14:02:13Z
ddc:
- '620'
department:
- _id: '158'
- _id: '321'
doi: 10.3390/cryst15121053
file:
- access_level: closed
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: paulstei
  date_created: 2025-12-12T13:12:33Z
  date_updated: 2025-12-12T13:12:33Z
  file_id: '63073'
  file_name: crystals-15-01053.pdf
  file_size: 20716652
  relation: main_file
  success: 1
file_date_updated: 2025-12-12T13:12:33Z
funded_apc: '1'
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '        15'
issue: '12'
keyword:
- Biomaterial
- In Situ Alloying
- Titanium
- Additive Manufacturing
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15121053
oa: '1'
publication: Crystals
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2073-4352
publication_status: published
publisher: MDPI AG
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: In Situ Alloying of Ti-6Al-7Nb with Copper Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion
type: journal_article
user_id: '69776'
volume: 15
year: '2025'
...