Fatigue properties of Ti-6Al-4V TPMS scaffolds fabricated via laser powder bed fusion

Abstract

Variabilities imposed by the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and structural design processes have resulted in deficient knowledge of structure-property relationships of the bone-inspired scaffolds (i.e., meta-biomaterials). Herein, we present new findings on the fatigue performance of L-PBF Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds designed based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMSs). We found that for a similar porosity and applied stress-amplitude, Schoen-IWP scaffolds exhibit significantly higher (97%) (p < 0.05) fatigue life when compared to the Primitive; however, Primitive scaffolds could more effectively mimic the compressive mechanical properties of trabecular bone. These findings help pave the path for spatial microarchitectural design of load-bearing orthopaedic implants.