Mechanical Properties and Deformation Behaviors of Node-Reinforced Ti-6Al-4V Lattice Structures Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Node reinforcement represents an effective strategy for enhancing the mechanical properties of lattice structures. Herein, four types of body-centered-cubic with Z-strut (BCCZ) lattice structures with different node arrangements are fabricated using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology. The surface morphology of four node-reinforced BCCZ lattice structures fabricated by LPBF is examined using scanning electron microscopy. Quasistatic compression tests are conducted on these four types of node-reinforced lattice structures. The experimental results show that the mechanical properties of all samples with node-reinforced BCCZ lattice structures are superior to those of the traditional BCCZ lattice structure. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the lattice structure improve in proportion to the density of the reinforced node sphere arrangement. Concurrently, an analysis of the deformation behavior of the BCCZ lattice structure with node reinforcement reveals that the TFB-3 exhibits shear band formation at a strain level of 6.2%, which is the highest strain among all the tested structures. The results indicate that the diagonal reinforcement strategy can significantly minimize the formation of shear bands and enhance the mechanical properties of BCCZ lattice structure. Based on traditional body-centered-cubic with Z-strut (BCCZ) lattice structure, four types of diagonally reinforced BCCZ lattice structures are prepared using laser powder bed fusion technology. Results of quasistatic compression tests and finite-element analysis indicate that these four structures have better mechanical properties and energy absorption capacity, and adding enough node spheres can minimize the formation of shear bands during loading.image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH