As-Built Geometry and Surface Finish Effects on Fatigue and Tensile Properties of Laser Fused Titanium 6Al-4V

The as-built material behavior of additive manufactured (AM) Titanium (Ti) 6Al-4V is investigated in this study. A solution heat treated, aged, stress relieved, and hot isostatic pressed Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) AM process was used to manufacture the specimens of interest. The motivation behind this work is based on the ever-growing desire of aerospace system designers to use AM to fabricate components with novel geometries. Specifically, there is keen interest in AM components with complex internal cooling configurations such as turbine blades, nozzle vanes, and heat exchangers that can improve small scale propulsion performance. Though it is feasible to three-dimensionally print parts that meet the Fit portion of a part characteristic description and identification, the Form and Function portions have proven to be more difficult to conquer. This study addresses both the Form and Function characteristics of the LPBF AM process via the investigation of geometry variation and surface roughness effects pertaining to mechanical properties and fatigue behavior of Ti 6Al-4V. Results show that geometry variation may be the cause of increased vibration fatigue life uncertainty. Also, both fatigue and tensile properties show profound discrepancies associated with surface finish. As-built surface finish specimens have lower fatigue and ductility performance, but the results are more consistent than polished data.