Characterization of triply periodic minimal surface structures obtained using toolpath-based construction design

Abstract

Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) cellular structures of Ti6Al4V with theoretically calculated relative densities ranging from 4% to 22.6% were designed using a toolpath-based construction method and fabricated by laser powder bed fusion, and their macrostructure, microstructure, and compression performance were investigated. The results indicated that the macrostructure was the same as that of TPMS structures designed using the traditional method. In contrast, the microstructures of the as-built samples and the samples after stress-relief annealing were slightly different from those of the traditional ones. Moreover, compression test results of the Schwarz-P structures showed that the compressive modulus was positively related to the calculated relative density, and a Gibson-Ashby model was established to quantitatively describe the relationship between the compressive modulus and theoretical relative density. The findings of this work show that the mechanical performance of a TPMS structure obtained using a toolpath-based construction design can be accurately predicted using geometric parameters or printing toolpaths. This will be helpful during the design stage.