Thermographic estimation of mechanical properties and porosity in foamed titanium: a preliminary non-destructive approach via pulsed laser thermography

This work presents a non-destructive methodology to estimate the residual porosity and mechanical properties of titanium foams produced via Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) followed by Solid-State Foaming (SSF). Pulsed laser spot thermography was employed to measure thermal diffusivity in compact and foamed Ti6Al4V-ELI samples derived from powders of different granulometries. A power-law correlation between thermal diffusivity and porosity was used to estimate post-foaming porosity, which was then used to predict elastic modulus, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength. Results highlight the potential of thermal diffusivity as a reliable indicator of structural performance, offering a rapid and fully non-destructive route for evaluating metallic foams in biomedical and aerospace applications.