A nanoindentation-based investigation of the local deformation mechanism of additively manufactured Ti6242 alloy

In the present investigation, continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) using nano-indentation technique has been employed to measure the hardness and strain rate sensitivity (SRS) parameter of Ti-6Al-2Mo-4Zr-2Sn (AM-Ti6242) alloy. The measured properties have been subjected to exploratory data analysis and interpreted based on local microstructure, composition and micro-texture. Very interestingly, the chemically homogeneous microstructure showed mechanical heterogeneity. The presence of the martensite phase and formation of the stress-induced nano-twins in the AM Ti6242 have been found to influence its nano-mechanical behaviour in a completely different way compared to the non-additively manufactured Ti6242.