# Titanium Additive Manufacturing with Powder Bed Fusion: A Bibliometric Perspective
## 5 Prospects and Limitations  
The bibliometric analysis of titanium AM using powder PBF reveals both the rapid evolution of this field and its high potential for future advancements. However, further research is needed to address the remaining challenges and explore new applications.  
* Current research trends, as indicated by the prominence of keywords such as \"process parameters\" and \"microstructure\", suggest that optimization of PBF parameters remains a critical focus area. Advances in real-time monitoring technologies, including high-speed imaging and in situ melt pool analysis, offer potential for dynamic control of process parameters, thereby reducing defects such as porosity and anisotropy. Developing adaptive PBF systems that respond to real-time feedback may significantly enhance the reliability and mechanical integrity of titanium components.
* The increasing demand for high-performance titanium components across industries, especially in aerospace and biomedical applications, underscores the need for titanium alloys with tailored properties. Bibliometric analysis identified considerable interest in alloys such as Ti-6 Al-4V, but expanding the range of alloys specifically optimized for AM could drive further innovation. Alloys that exhibit enhanced thermal stability, biocompatibility, or corrosion resistance could broaden the application of PBF technology in sectors where traditional alloys fall short.
* Post-processing remains essential for achieving the desired surface finish and mechanical properties in PBF-produced components. The absence of relevant studieson post-processing in this review highlights a gap in the literature that future research could address. Techniques such as laser polishing, heat treatments, and hot isostatic pressing show potential to refine microstructural features and mitigate surface defects. A comprehensive understanding of these methods, alongside PBF, could facilitate more precise control over the final properties of titanium parts, aligning with industry requirements.
* Sustainability has emerged as a central theme in manufacturing industries. In PBF, this involves minimizing waste through efficient powder reuse, reducing energy consumption and improving the overall lifecycle impact of manufacturing. Studies focused on optimizing material usage and recycling strategies for titanium powders could make PBF more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Additionally, reducing emissions and exploring renewable energy sources for PBF processes aligns with broader industrial goals of reducing environmental impact.
* While PBF has established its viability for producing high-precision, small-scale parts, scaling up for mass production remains challenging. Future research may focus on developing larger, more efficient PBF systems and integrated workflows that address scalability. A transition from prototyping to large-scale manufacturing could unlock new applications and economic efficiencies for titanium AM in the high-performance sectors identified.  
To overcome the limitations of this bibliometric review and provide a deeper understanding of titanium AM by PBF research, future analyses could incorporate advanced techniques such as topic modeling and the use of the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm. Topic modeling can automatically identify underlying themes within large datasets, while LDA is effective for uncovering hidden patterns in textual data, enabling the identification of emerging research areas and the evolution of academic discourse. Such approaches would enrich the current analysis and offer a dynamic view of ongoing developments in titanium AM research.