Abstract: TiAl alloys are promising structural metallic materials used in the field of aerospace especially in aero-engine turbine blade due to their relatively low density, high elastic modulus, excellent high temperature strength, good creep and oxidation resistance, etc. However, because of its brittleness at room temperature and poor hot deformability, it is difficult to manufacture the TiAl alloy blade with complex shape and internal cavity structure by traditional technologies of forging, precision casting and powder metallurgy, which hinders the further improvement of its performance. Additive manufacturing can break through the restriction of shape, and is expected to be a new technology for manufacturing of TiAl alloy parts with complex structure. At present, the additive manufacturing technologies used for TiAl alloys mainly include electron beam melting, selective laser melting, and laser metal deposition. In this paper, we investigate the literature of additive manufacturing of TiAl alloys in recent ten years. The three kinds of additive manufacturing technologies are analyzed and reviewed in terms of their principles and characteristics, the characteristics of the alloy powder used, the phase structure, microstructure, heat treatment process, macro-and micro-mechanical properties of printing TiAl alloys, and their applications in the aviation field. Existing problems and future development of additive manufacturing of the alloy are also discussed.

Key words: TiAl alloy, selective laser melting, laser metal deposition, electron beam melting, turbine blade