Anisotropy of a Selective Laser-Melted Ti–6Al–4V Lattice Structure

Abstract

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a widely adopted additive manufacturing process for the preparation of metallic lattice structures. However, it causes a build-direction-dependent anisotropy of morphologies, microstructures, and mechanical properties, making it difficult to predict the behavior and performance of lattice structures. In this study, tensile samples with different cross-sections and build directions (BDs) were fabricated by SLM. The anisotropic morphology, microstructure, and tensile properties were observed and measured using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and three-dimensional digital image correlation to determine the effects of the size and BD of SLMed materials. The extracted data were sequentially used to modify the geometric and physical models of the lattice. Body-centered cubic lattice structures were fabricated by SLM, and compression tests were performed to verify the modified compression model. In addition to the BD-related grains, the cross-sectional area of the SLMed sample affects its mechanical properties. The small cross-section makes the microstructure finer because the proportion of the contour path that uses higher power is no longer negligible. The sample with small cross-section has more anisotropy because of the lack of tolerance to heterogeneity and macro defects like roughness. In this study, by analyzing samples with small cross-sections, a model consisting of an isotropic hardening law and Hill’s anisotropic yield function is established to describe the yield and plasticity behavior of the as-built SLMed Ti–6Al–4V lattice. The simulated and experimental data fit very well, verifying the methodology employed in this study.