Interplay of strain and phase evolution of laser powder bed fusion Ti–6Al–4V

While additive manufacturing (AM) provides a method of producing geometrically complex and highly detailed structures, the generation of residual strain in AM processes like laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) can negatively impact performance-enabling properties. In applications such as orthopedic implants, specific performance windows require optimized microstructures in order to obtain desirable properties from multi-phase alloys like Ti–6Al–4V. This research aims to quantify the microscale origins of strain in L-PBF manufactured Ti–6Al–4V by understanding how strain is distributed at the grain and sub-grain scale, the interplay between phase evolution and strain, and examining post-processing strain relief strategies to control these features. Model spinal cage implants were manufactured from Ti–6Al–4V powder via L-PBF and then subjected to strain relieving heat treatment cycles above and below the Ti–6Al–4V β transus as a function of time and cooling rate. Residual strain was then studied via high resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD), and 2D strain maps with sub-micron resolution were generated for each post-processing state. It was found that macroscale thermal strains decreased with heat treatment time, but additional contributions from phase stabilizing residual strains retained primarily in the α′ grains as lattice distortive strain remained. Additionally, the retention of β phase significantly changed the strain and dislocation distribution while reducing overall residual strain. These results were validated and reinforced with 3D mesoscopic micromechanical modeling of strain behavior across simulated microstructures, confirming that the local lattice dilation of α’ martensite is a primary contributor of microscale strain generation and retention in L-PBF Ti–6Al–4V.