Necking-Shaped Shear Experiment for Measuring the Interlayer Shear Strengths of 3D Printed Titanium Alloys

Background Because 3D printed titanium alloys are often used in load-bearing structures, strength research becomes critical. Surprisingly, numerous studies have reported the tensile strength measurements, but no study has presented any result for the shear strength measurement of 3D printed titanium alloys. Hence, a new approach is worthy of exploration, and its focus is the interlayer shear strength measurement. Objective This paper proposes a new shear strength measurement for 3D printed titanium alloys. Method A combined experimental and numerical investigation of the interlayer shear strength measurement approach was conducted, and its application targeted one Ti–6Al–4 V (TC4) titanium alloy made with the selective laser melting. A necking-shaped shear specimen was developed to measure the shear strength with the aid of both 3D finite element analysis and fractography analysis. Results All specimens show a pure shear fracture pattern and a small strength deviation. Conclusions The measured interlayer shear strength was consistent with the shear strengths of traditional TC4 alloys. Therefore, the selective laser melting technique did not significantly increase or decrease the shear strength. Graphical Abstract