Notch fracture predictions using the Phase Field method for Ti-6Al-4V produced by Selective Laser Melting after different post-processing conditions

Abstract

Ti-6Al-4V is a titanium alloy with excellent properties for lightweight applications and its production through Additive Manufacturing processes is attractive for different industrial sectors. In this work, the influence of mechanical properties on the notch fracture resistance of Ti-6Al-4V produced by Selective Laser Melting is numerically investigated. Literature data is used to inform material behaviour. The as-built brittle behaviour is compared to the enhanced ductile response after heat treatment (HT) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) post-processes. A Phase Field framework is adopted to capture damage nucleation and propagation from two different notch geometries and a discussion on the influence of fracture energy and the characteristic length is carried out. In addition, the influence of oxygen uptake is analysed by reproducing non-inert atmospheres during HT and HIP, showing that oxygen shifts fracture to brittle failures due to the formation of an alpha case layer, especially for the V-notch geometry. Results show that a pure elastic behaviour can be assumed for the as-built SLM condition, whereas elastic-plastic phenomena must be modelled for specimens subjected to heat treatment or hot isostatic pressing. The present brittle Phase Field framework coupled with an elastic-plastic constitutive analysis is demonstrated to be a robust prediction tool for notch fracture after different post-processing routes.