Crystallographic Texture Analysis of As-Built and Heat-Treated Ti6Al4V (ELI) Produced by Direct Metal Laser Sintering

• Main Authors: Amos Muiruri, Maina Maringa, Willie du Preez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Crystals
• Subjects: texture; direct metal laser sintering; electron backscatter diffraction; pole figure; reconstruction; variants
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/10/8/699
• ISSN: 2073-4352

This paper reports on an investigation of crystallographic texture of as-built and heat-treated Ti6Al4V (ELI) produced by direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). The texture analyses were conducted using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The β-phase texture from the obtained EBSD data was ascertained based on a reconstruction method using the Automatic Reconstruction of Parent Grain for EBSD data (ARPGE) program. A significant improvement of the maximum intensity of the texture from the pole figure was also noted upon heat treatment. The as-built samples and samples heat-treated just below the α→β transformation temperature showed a stronger fibrous texture of the reconstructed β-grains with the ⟨<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>100</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>⟩ directions almost parallel to the build direction. The alignment of the fibrous texture in the build direction disappeared after heat treatment above the α→β-grain transformation temperature.