Pore Closure in Additively Manufactured Titanium

I independently built an Abaqus model to study how forming closes pores in printed Ti-6Al-4V and how much deformation remains after unloading.

ME/CEE 426, Advanced Finite Elements · Northwestern University · March 2025

Individual project — all modeling, verification, analysis, and reporting by Carter Taylor.

I built a finite element model to investigate whether mechanical forming could close gas pores in directed-energy-deposited Ti-6Al-4V, supporting the development of hybrid additive and forming processes.

What I built:

  • A quarter-symmetry representative volume element in Abaqus/Explicit, with a spherical pore and Johnson–Cook plasticity.
  • Mesh-convergence and energy checks, followed by loading/unloading simulations to measure pore closure and springback.
  • Studies of forming depth, temperature, boundary conditions, and ductile damage to assess closure, forming force, and residual stress.

Tools: Abaqus/Explicit · finite element analysis · Johnson–Cook plasticity and damage

Quarter-symmetry Abaqus model of a titanium representative volume element containing a spherical pore
The representative volume element and symmetry model used in the study.

In the room-temperature model, increasing displacement from 0.375 to 0.5 mm required about 18% more force with little additional benefit to pore closure after unloading. These are numerical feasibility results for the modeled geometry and boundary conditions.

Undeformed, loaded, and unloaded pore profiles for forming displacements of 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5 millimeters
Pore profiles before loading, under load, and after unloading at 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5 mm displacement, from left to right.

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