Understanding the role of interface in deformation behavior of additively manufactured bimetallic structures of pure metals

Abstract

Directed energy deposition (DED)-based additive manufacturing (AM) was employed to fabricate three distinct bimetallic compositions to understand the role interface for the deformation behavior of bimetallic structures under compressive loading. Commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) with a hexagonal closed packed (HCP) structure, nickel (Ni) with a face-centered cubic (FCC), and tantalum (Ta) with a body-centered cubic (BCC) structure were selected to understand the deformation behavior within the pure metals and damage accumulation at the bimetallic interface. By incorporating the combination of these materials, such as Ni–Ti, Ni–Ta, and Ta–Ti, we aimed to manufacture layered-base polycrystalline composite structures with FCC-HCP, FCC-BCC, and BCC-HCP crystal unit cells, respectively. In Ni–Ti and Ni–Ta bimetallic structures, it was determined that deformation is controlled by the Ni region, where the highest deflection occurs when Ni bulges out and makes lateral stress at the interface, resulting in crack initiation, propagation, and failure of the structure. Structural edges were found to experience the highest deformation, prompting grain inclination towards the <111> crystal orientation, resulting in a favorable orientation for dislocation slip and a higher Taylor factor. However, strong interfacial bonding and similar Young's modulus between Ta and Ti altered the deformation mechanisms to twinning formation in the Ti region and observed buckling of the entire structure without significant failure at the interface.