Microstructure and mechanical properties of hierarchical porous parts of Ti-6Al-4V alloy obtained by powder bed fusion techniques
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 29 October 2021
Issue publication date: 29 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the obtainment of Ti-6Al-4V parts with a hierarchical arrangement of pores by additive manufacturing, aiming at designing orthopedic implants.
Design/methodology/approach
The experimental methodology compares microstructural and mechanical properties of Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and electron beam powder bed fusion (EBPBF), with three different porosity volumes. The pore arrangement followed the formation sequence of the Menger sponge, with hierarchical order from 1 to 3.
Findings
The LPBF parts presented a martensitic microstructure, while the EBPBF parts presented an α + ß microstructure, independently of its wall thickness. The LPBF parts presented higher mechanical resistance and effective stiffness than the EBPBF parts with similar porosity volume. The stiffness values of the Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, between 4 and 29 GPa, are comparable to those of the cortical bone. Furthermore, the deformation behavior presented by the Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy did not follow the Gibson and Ashby model's prediction.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to obtain Menger pre-fractal sponges of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by LPBF and EBPBF. The deformation behavior of the obtained porous parts was contrasted with the Gibson and Ashby model's prediction.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Marcelo Oliveira (CTI Renato Archer) and Luis Fernando Bernardes (Biofabris) for the technical support during the build of the samples by the EBPBF and LPBF techniques, respectively. E. Sallica-Leva gratefully acknowledges the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq, Brazil) for granting postdoctoral research fellowships (Grant no. 301670/2020–0).
Citation
Sallica-Leva, E., da Costa, F.H., Dos Santos, C.T., Jardini, A.L., da Silva, J.V.L. and Fogagnolo, J.B. (2022), "Microstructure and mechanical properties of hierarchical porous parts of Ti-6Al-4V alloy obtained by powder bed fusion techniques", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 732-746. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-04-2021-0078
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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