Space-holder effect on designing pore structure and determining mechanical properties in porous titanium

•Four titanium structures composed of different types of pores were produced and evaluated.•The porosity determines the elastic modulus of a porous material.•Both the porosity and space holders were important for mechanical strength.•High-strength and low-elastic-modulus material can be obtained by selecting a proper space holder.

The present work studied the effect of space holders on pore structure and mechanical properties in porous titanium. Four types of space holders (sodium chloride, starch, and urea with different size and morphology) were utilized to fabricate porous titanium. The space holders played a key role in the pore structure as confirmed by microstructural observations and three-dimensional computed tomography technique. Mechanical properties of each sample were investigated and discussed on the basis of the tomography results and finite element method. It is concluded that the porosity determines the elastic modulus regardless of the type and morphology of space holders, whereas both porosity and type of space holder affected strength.