Effects of Porosity and Microstructure on the Fatigue Fracture Properties of Ti6Al4V Alloy Produced through Selective Laser Melting

Effects of Porosity and Microstructure on the Fatigue Fracture Properties of Ti6Al4V Alloy Produced through Selective Laser Melting | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effects of Porosity and Microstructure on the Fatigue Fracture Properties of Ti6Al4V Alloy Produced through Selective Laser Melting Simge Gencalp Irizalp, Nursen Saklakoglu, Cansu Apaydin, Kemal Ayan This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5416619/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 May, 2025 Read the published version in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Selective laser melting (SLM) was employed to fabricate Ti6Al4V samples, focusing on laser energy density ranges suitable for industrial applications. The process involved nine levels of laser energy density (66.66–113.09 J/mm³) to achieve full density in the SLM-fabricated products. Experimental results demonstrated that the Archimedes relative density of the specimens increased to 99.86%. At this density level, characterized by minimal porosity, microstructural analysis revealed the presence of pores both on the surface and within the internal regions. The various laser energy density levels, including lower, higher, and optimal values, promoted the αˈ-phase microstructure, thereby affecting the microhardness. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of acicular αˈ-phases in the SLM Ti6Al4V components. Fatigue tests, including high-cycle fatigue (HCF) and low-cycle fatigue (LCF), were conducted on the samples exhibiting minimal porosity and refined microstructure, yielding fatigue limits of 140 MPa and lifetimes up to 10 7 cycles. The results demonstrated that fatigue cracks in the Ti6Al4V alloy predominantly originated from surface-connected pores. The relationships between microstructure, porosity, and fractography revealed that the rapid cooling in the SLM process limited crystal growth, leading to smaller crystal sizes and influencing fatigue performance. The findings highlight the practical significance of optimizing laser energy density in improving the mechanical and fatigue properties of SLM-fabricated Ti6Al4V components by reducing porosity and promoting the formation of strong metallurgical bonds in the microstructure. Selective laser melting titanium laser energy density microstructure fatigue fractography Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 May, 2025 Read the published version in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Accept as is for Publication 26 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 06 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 31 Mar, 2025 First submitted to journal 25 Mar, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5416619","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":439023211,"identity":"c6b6ed7a-5eb6-4c7b-a955-544cea33eef6","order_by":0,"name":"Simge Gencalp Irizalp","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABA0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZgST8QBDBUMCiCVBrBaGAwxn4FoMiLPxAGMbEVrk27mTX3xgqJUzZz/84HDhPLs8gwPMB2/zMPzJx6XF4DDvNssZDMeNLXvSDA7P3JZcbHCALdmah8HAsgGXFmbebcY8DMcSN9wAaz+QuOEAj5k0UAtOl8k3A7X8YThWv+EG+4fDvHNAWvi/4dXCcJh382MGhpoEgxs8QFsawLaw4dUCcgxjj8EBww1ncgoOzziWXCx5mM3Yco6BMW6H9Z/d/OFHRZ28wfHjGx8X1Njl8R1vfnjjTYUcvohhkwDaBWYxI0j8Mcn8gYGhDknLKBgFo2AUjAI0AAC3fFasorKcbgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0339-5699","institution":"Celal Bayar University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Simge","middleName":"Gencalp","lastName":"Irizalp","suffix":""},{"id":439023212,"identity":"e422440b-4d71-431a-bf21-0d708dafb5cd","order_by":1,"name":"Nursen Saklakoglu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nursen","middleName":"","lastName":"Saklakoglu","suffix":""},{"id":439023213,"identity":"ab28f697-0002-46f4-83c5-e4b582987566","order_by":2,"name":"Cansu Apaydin","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Cansu","middleName":"","lastName":"Apaydin","suffix":""},{"id":439023214,"identity":"0857b916-7f86-4afe-a693-c0622ccbf4bf","order_by":3,"name":"Kemal Ayan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kemal","middleName":"","lastName":"Ayan","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-11-08 12:39:44","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5416619/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5416619/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15630-8","type":"published","date":"2025-05-14T15:56:55+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":83067647,"identity":"c1eb955f-543c-4f46-8738-b831ca8615d5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-19 16:01:21","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2531092,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscriptCleanVersion.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5416619/v1_covered_e0432576-beb1-415e-90d9-dcb2f3f57ce4.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Effects of Porosity and Microstructure on the Fatigue Fracture Properties of Ti6Al4V Alloy Produced through Selective Laser Melting","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jamt","sideBox":"Learn more about [The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology](https://www.springer.com/journal/170)","snPcode":"170","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/170/3","title":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Selective laser melting, titanium, laser energy density, microstructure, fatigue, fractography","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5416619/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5416619/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSelective laser melting (SLM) was employed to fabricate Ti6Al4V samples, focusing on laser energy density ranges suitable for industrial applications. The process involved nine levels of laser energy density (66.66–113.09 J/mm³) to achieve full density in the SLM-fabricated products. Experimental results demonstrated that the Archimedes relative density of the specimens increased to 99.86%. At this density level, characterized by minimal porosity, microstructural analysis revealed the presence of pores both on the surface and within the internal regions. The various laser energy density levels, including lower, higher, and optimal values, promoted the αˈ-phase microstructure, thereby affecting the microhardness. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of acicular αˈ-phases in the SLM Ti6Al4V components. Fatigue tests, including high-cycle fatigue (HCF) and low-cycle fatigue (LCF), were conducted on the samples exhibiting minimal porosity and refined microstructure, yielding fatigue limits of 140 MPa and lifetimes up to 10\u003csup\u003e7 \u003c/sup\u003ecycles. The results demonstrated that fatigue cracks in the Ti6Al4V alloy predominantly originated from surface-connected pores. The relationships between microstructure, porosity, and fractography revealed that the rapid cooling in the SLM process limited crystal growth, leading to smaller crystal sizes and influencing fatigue performance. The findings highlight the practical significance of optimizing laser energy density in improving the mechanical and fatigue properties of SLM-fabricated Ti6Al4V components by reducing porosity and promoting the formation of strong metallurgical bonds in the microstructure.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effects of Porosity and Microstructure on the Fatigue Fracture Properties of Ti6Al4V Alloy Produced through Selective Laser Melting","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-09 09:05:36","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5416619/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Accept as is for Publication","date":"2025-04-26T05:15:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-04-07T17:44:02+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-06T11:40:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-03-31T05:10:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology","date":"2025-03-26T03:49:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jamt","sideBox":"Learn more about [The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology](https://www.springer.com/journal/170)","snPcode":"170","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/170/3","title":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"3095d3a3-4518-486c-84b6-e02406e9863a","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 9th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-05-19T15:58:33+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5416619","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15630-8","journal":{"identity":"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology"},"publishedOn":"2025-05-14 15:56:55","publishedOnDateReadable":"May 14th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-09 09:05:36","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s00170-025-15630-8","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-025-15630-8","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5416619","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5416619","identity":"rs-5416619","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}