Nano-Mechanical Properties and Creep Behavior of Ti6Al4V Fabricated by Powder Bed Fusion Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

Effects of scanning strategy during powder bed fusion electron beam additive manufacturing (PBF-EB AM) on microstructure, nano-mechanical properties, and creep behavior of Ti6Al4V alloys were compared. Results show that PBF-EB AM Ti6Al4V alloy with linear scanning without rotation strategy was composed of 96.9% α-Ti and 2.7% β-Ti, and has a nanoindentation range of 4.11–6.31 GPa with the strain rate ranging from 0.001 to 1 s(−1), and possesses a strain-rate sensitivity exponent of 0.053 ± 0.014. While PBF-EB AM Ti6Al4V alloy with linear and 90° rotate scanning strategy was composed of 98.1% α-Ti and 1.9% β-Ti and has a nanoindentation range of 3.98–5.52 GPa with the strain rate ranging from 0.001 to 1 s(−1), and possesses a strain-rate sensitivity exponent of 0.047 ± 0.009. The nanohardness increased with increasing strain rate, and creep displacement increased with the increasing maximum holding loads. The creep behavior was mainly dominated by dislocation motion during deformation induced by the indenter. The PBF-EB AM Ti6Al4V alloy with only the linear scanning strategy has a higher nanohardness and better creep resistance properties than the alloy with linear scanning and 90° rotation strategy. These results could contribute to understanding the creep behavior of Ti6Al4V alloy and are significant for PBF-EB AM of Ti6Al4V and other alloys.