Influence of Structural Parameters on Mechanical Properties of Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Structure

Abstract

Titanium alloy is widely used in aerospace and other fields due to its low density, high specific strength, corrosion resistance, and other advantages. With the development of selective laser melting additive manufacturing technology, it is possible to manufacture triply periodic minimal surface porous structures. The effects of structural parameters on the mechanical properties of a Ti-6Al-4V Diamond (D)-type triply periodic minimal surface structure are studied. According to the characteristics of porous structures, the Gibson Ashby fitting formulas of D structures are modified using the concept of equivalent cross-sectional areas. The influence of cell size and surface thickness on the compressive modulus and strength of a D structure is discussed. Prediction formulas of the mechanical properties based on cell size and surface thickness are established by combining the relative density with the structural parameters. On this basis, the density optimization method is applied to the lightweight design of a rocket-related assembly based on D structure filling. The design results verify the feasibility of a lightweight design based on triply periodic minimal surface structure filling.