Creep behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy specimens produced by Electron Beam Melting

The development of the so-called additive methods is currently considered of great interest in the manufacturing industry. In particular the Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technique, based on the deposition of individual layers of metal powders which undergo progressively to the passage of an electron beam, is now widely utilized for production of peculiar shapes, both in biomedical and industrial field. In the present work, the mechanical behavior of bulk specimens made of Ti-6Al-4V alloy produced by EBM is investigated, focusing creep behavior in the range 400-600°C which is largely considered for aeronautical applications. Specimens obtained by varying the direction of powder deposition were taken into account, in order to highlight the effects of layers orientation on mechanical properties. The results of creep test were analyzed by means of the Larson Miller parameter, in order to extrapolate creep life at different values of load and temperature.