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Cellular Ti6Al4V with carbon nanotube-like structures fabricated by selective electron beam melting

Yujie Quan (Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany)
Philipp Drescher (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany)
Faming Zhang (Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany)
Eberhard Burkel (Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany)
Hermann Seitz (Institute of Physics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Article publication date: 20 October 2014

435

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to fabricate cellular Ti6Al4V with carbon nanotube (CNT)-like structures by selective electron beam melting and study the resultant mechanical properties based on each respective geometry to provide fundamental information for optimizing molecular architectures and predicting the mechanical properties of cellular solids.

Design/methodology/approach

Cellular Ti6Al4V with CNT-like zigzag and armchair structures are fabricated by selected electron beam melting. The microstructures and mechanical properties of these samples are evaluated utilizing scanning electron microscopy, synchrotron radiation X-ray and compressive tests.

Findings

The mechanical properties of the cellular solids depend on the geometry of strut architectures. The armchair-structured Ti6Al4V samples exhibit Young’s modulus from 501.10 to 707.60 MPa and compressive strength from 8.73 to 13.45 MPa. The zigzag structured samples demonstrate Young’s modulus from 548.19 to 829.58 MPa and compressive strength from 9.32 to 16.21 MPa. The results suggest that the zigzag structure of the Ti6Al4V cellular solids can achieve improved mechanical properties and the mechanism for the enhanced mechanical properties in the zigzag structures was revealed.

Originality/value

The results provide an innovative example for modulating the mechanical properties of cellular titanium by adjusting the unit cell geometry. The Ti6Al4V cellular solids with single-walled CNT-like structures could be used as light-weight construction components or filters in industries. The Ti6Al4V with multiwalled CNT-like structures could be used as new scaffolds for biomedical applications.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful for the support from DFG in providing the Arcam AB EBM A1 system. This work was gratefully supported by the DFG GRK1505/1 and GRK1505/2 (Welisa). The author Quan, Y. J. acknowledges the support from China Scholarship Council (CSC) with file No. 2010603007. The authors would like to thank Prof. Rainer Bader and Ms. Rebecca Schubert for their help in the mechanical tests. Special thanks are due to Charvat T. T. for his revision of this manuscript.

Citation

Quan, Y., Drescher, P., Zhang, F., Burkel, E. and Seitz, H. (2014), "Cellular Ti6Al4V with carbon nanotube-like structures fabricated by selective electron beam melting", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 541-550. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-05-2013-0050

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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