About
Ozgun Umut Tukac
Postgraduate Researcher
UCD
Ozgun Umut Tukac is an I-Form PhD researcher based at University College Dublin (UCD), working in the area of Alloy Development for Additive Manufacturing. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Middle East Technical University, Turkey, in 2019, and completed his postgraduate studies in the same department in 2023. His research focuses on the development of grain refiners for titanium alloys, with a particular emphasis on Ti-6Al-4V, one of the most widely used titanium alloys. His key interests include alloy development, materials characterisation, and metal additive manufacturing. With expertise in alloy design and advanced characterisation techniques, Tukac's work aims to address critical challenges in metal additive manufacturing.
Technical Summary
In his study, Tukac will address the challenge of improving the additive manufacturing capabilities of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, a material widely used across various industries. While this alloy is renowned for its light weight, high strength, and excellent corrosion resistance, the properties of Ti-6Al-4V produced through additive manufacturing often fall short compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Specifically, the grain structure formed during the AM process leads to reduced ductility and poor fatigue performance.
This research is focused on developing a new grain refiner to enhance the microstructure of AM-produced Ti-6Al-4V. This is a crucial advancement, as the successful development of such a grain refiner would not only improve the mechanical properties of the alloy but also unlock the full potential of additive manufacturing in critical industries like aerospace, biomedical, and automotive sectors.
Although grain refinement is a well-known method to enhance material performance, finding a solution that works effectively in the context of metal additive manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy has proven elusive. This study aims to overcome this hurdle and bring additive manufacturing closer to realizing its full potential by addressing one of its most significant material challenges.