The Need

Titanium alloys such as Ti‑6Al‑4V are highly valued in aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing, but they remain difficult and costly to join and build additively. Conventional fusion welding and powder‑based additive manufacturing can introduce defects, residual stresses, distortion, and oxygen embrittlement, limiting part performance and reliability. There is a significant unmet need for a scalable, solid‑state joining and additive manufacturing approach that enables robust bonding of titanium alloys while preserving mechanical integrity and design flexibility.

The Technology

This technology enables reliable solid‑state welding and additive manufacturing of titanium alloys using ultrasonic additive manufacturing combined with engineered metallic interlayers and optional post‑weld heat treatment. Thin interlayers introduced between titanium foils promote strong metallurgical bonding during ultrasonic consolidation at low temperatures. The approach supports layer‑by‑layer fabrication of titanium structures with bond strengths approaching bulk material performance, while avoiding melting, minimizing distortion, and maintaining fine microstructural control.

Commercial Applications

• Superconducting power transmission cables for grid integration
• Cryogenic electrical systems in large electric aircraft
• High-performance computing and quantum systems requiring cryogenic cabling
• Industrial cryogenic power distribution networks

Benefits/Advantages

• Solid‑state process: Avoids melting, reducing distortion, cracking, and oxygen embrittlement
• High joint strength: Achieves weld strengths comparable to bulk Ti‑6Al‑4V after heat treatment
• Design flexibility: Enables layered builds, embedded features, and complex geometries
• Scalable manufacturing: Compatible with existing ultrasonic additive manufacturing platforms