Mechanical Properties of 3D Printing Lightweight and High-Strength Tungsten

The selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing method was applied to design and to manufacture tungsten materials with lattice structures. The changes in the mechanical properties of tungsten materials with different lattice structures were investigated through finite element analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and quasi-static uniaxial compression tests. The influence of microstructure on mechanical properties was analyzed. The results indicate that the arc lattice structure can effectively reduce stress concentration at the nodes, while maintaining the lightweight and low porosity characteristics of the lattice structure, as well as the high-strength mechanical properties of tungsten materials. The average compressive strength reaches 535 MPa, while the average mass is only 1.25 g. After laser printing, the arc lattice has an average compressive strength increase of 93% compared to the cubic lattice, and the body-centered arc lattice (BCA) shows superior compressive performance, reaching a maximum compressive strength of 721 MPa, with a theoretical structural density of 12.8%. The mechanical performance of 3D printed W is close to that of plastic processed sample. Compared with the cubic lattice, the arc lattice has good ability absorption characteristics, and the total energy absorption value of the latter is increased by 223% compared with the former, and the average energy absorption of the arc lattice reaches 1664 J/mm(3). In addition, the SEM image shows that the arc lattice reduces the hanging distance of the oblique pillar in the printing due to its arc characteristics, and the forming effect is better than that of the cubic lattice.