Micromechanical Characterization of Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Parts Produced by Electron Beam Melting

Ti-6Al-4V is one of the most promising alloys for electron beam melting (EBM) of structural parts due to its outstanding properties and its extensive use in the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries. In this study, we report a detailed and systematic micromechanical characterization of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V parts produced via EBM. The specimens were characterized by microhardness, nanoindentation, micropillar compression, and microscratch measurements. The results show that the Ti-6Al-4V exhibits a strong indentation size effect and higher strain rate sensitivity compared to those obtained from macroscale measurements. The high scratch resistance and the high hardness of the alloy at small indentation depths suggest that the EBM-produced Ti-6Al-4V parts can provide good performance in service under sliding wear conditions.