Experimental and finite-element analysis of the anisotropic response of high-purity α-titanium in bending

In this paper, we present results of four-point bending tests performed on beams of high-purity α-titanium material. These tests have been performed at room temperature for different beam configurations and loading orientations with respect to the orthotropy axes of the material. Digital image correlation was used to determine local strains in the deformed beams. Experimental results compare very well with the predictions of finite-element simulations obtained using the elastic/plastic model developed by Nixon et al. (2010) [12]. Specifically, we compare local deformations and the cross-sections of each beam for all loading configurations. We show that the model predicts with great accuracy the tension-compression asymmetry and the evolving anisotropy of the material. The experimentally observed upward shift of the neutral axis, as well as the rigidity of the response along the hard to deform c-axes are very well described by the proposed model.