Compressive and fatigue behavior of functionally graded Ti-6Al-4V meshes fabricated by electron beam melting

In recent years, cellular metallic materials have attracted significant interest for biomedical applications. However, mutually opposing requirements of porous architecture and mechanical strength in conjunction with the high energy absorption capability have restricted their use. Here, we illustrate that electron beam melting can fabricate functionally graded Ti-6Al-4V alloy interconnected mesh structures with a combination of low density (0.5–2 g/cm³), high fatigue strength (∼70 MPa) and energy absorption (∼50 MJ/mg), which is superior to the ordinary uniform cellular structures. The underlying fundamental mechanisms governing the compressive and fatigue behavior of the graded cellular structures are elucidated via in situ tomography experiments and digital volume correlation analyses. It is underscored that during cyclic deformation, the stress can be continuously redistributed because of inhomogeneous mechanical properties and crack formation in constituent meshes, thereby resulting in variation of cyclic ratcheting rate for the graded cellular structures.