Transformation Superplasticity of Cast Titanium and Ti-6Al-4V

Samples of unalloyed titanium and Ti-6Al-4V with a cast, coarse-grain structure were subjected to simultaneous mechanical loading and thermal cycling about their transformation range to assess their capability for transformation superplasticity. Under uniaxial tensile loading, high elongations to failure (511 pct for titanium, and 265 pct for Ti-6Al-4V) and an average strain-rate sensitivity exponent of unity are observed. Samples previously deformed superplastically to a strain of 100 pct show no significant degradation in room-temperature mechanical properties as compared to the undeformed state. Biaxial dome bulging tests confirm that transformation superplasticity is activated under thermal cycling and faster than creep deformation. The cast, coarse-grained titanium and Ti-6Al-4V have similar transformation-superplasticity characteristics as wrought or powder-metallurgy materials with finer grains. This may enable superplastic forming of titanium objects directly after the casting step, thus bypassing the complicated and costly thermomechanical processing steps needed to achieve fine-grain superplasticity.

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Co-deformation processing and modeling of <Emphasis Type="Italic">In-Situ</Emphasis> multiphase composites

A series of in-situ, deformation-processed metal matrix composites were produced by direct powder extrusion of blended constituents. The resulting composites are comprised of a metallic Ti-6Al-4V matrix containing dispersed and co-deformed discontinuously reinforced-intermetallic matrix composite (DR-IMC) reinforcements. The DR-IMCs are comprised of discontinuous TiB₂ particulate within a titanium trialuminide or near-γ Ti-47Al matrix. Thus, an example of a resulting composite would be Ti-6Al-4V+40 vol pct (Al₃Ti+30 vol pct TiB₂) or Ti-6Al-4V+40 vol pct (Ti-47Al+40 vol pct TiB₂), with the DR-IMCs having an aligned, high aspect ratio morphology as a consequence of deformation processing. The degree to which both constituents deform during extrusion has been examined using systematic variations in the percentage of TiB₂ within the DR-IMC, and by varying the percentage of DR-IMC within the metal matrix. In the former instance, variation of the TiB₂ percentage effects variations in relative flow behavior; while in the latter, varying the percentage of DR-IMC within the metallic matrix effects changes in strain distribution among components. The results indicate that successful co-deformation processing can occur within certain ranges of relative flow stress; however, the extent of commensurate flow will be limited by the constituents’ inherent capacity to plastically deform.     

Ti-6Al-4V-2Ni as a matrix material for a SiC-reinforced composite

Ti-6Al-4V-2Ni is being considered as a composite matrix material because of its potential for a lower consolidation temperature and reduced reaction product formation compared with conventional Ti-6A1-4V. Stress/strain-rate measurements of Ti-6Al-4V-2Ni in sheet form provided data for calculation of diffusion bonding parameters required for efficient consolidation. These data were used as consolidation parameters for fabrication of SiC (SCS-6) reinforced Ti-6Al-4V-2Ni. The composite with 10.5 vol pct SiC exhibits room temperature tensile strength approximately 80 pct of that observed for conventional Ti-6Al-4V/SiC having 35 to 40 vol pct SiC. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the fiber-matrix reaction zone is roughly one-half the thickness of that found in SiC-reinforced Ti -6A1-4V, and that it consists of TiC and Ti₅Si₃. Nickel does not enter into the reaction zone products, but rather promotes the formation of Ti₂Ni in the matrix.     

Low-temperature superplasticity of ultra-fine-grained Ti-6Al-4V processed by equal-channel angular pressing

The low-temperature superplasticity of ultra-fine-grained (UFG) Ti-6Al-4V was established as a function of temperature and strain rate. The equiaxed-alpha grain size of the starting material was reduced from 11 to 0.3 μm (without a change in volume fraction) by imposing an effective strain of ∼4 via isothermal, equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) at 873 K. The ultrafine microstructure so produced was relatively stable during annealing at temperatures up to 873 K. Uniaxial tension and load-relaxation tests were conducted for both the starting (coarse-grained (CG)) and UFG materials at temperatures of 873 to 973 K and strain rates of 5 × 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻² s⁻¹. The tension tests revealed that the UFG structure exhibited considerably higher elongations compared to those of the CG specimens at the same temperature and strain rate. A total elongation of 474 pct was obtained for the UFG alloy at 973 K and 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹. This fact strongly indicated that low-temperature superplasticity could be achieved using an UFG structure through an enhancement of grain-boundary sliding in addition to strain hardening. The deformation mechanisms underlying the low-temperature superplasticity of UFG Ti-6Al-4V were also elucidated by the load-relaxation tests and accompanying interpretation based on inelastic deformation theory.     

Finite-Element Modeling of Titanium Powder Densification

A powder-level, finite-element model is created to describe densification, as a function of applied stress during uniaxial hot pressing, of CP-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V powders with spherical or spheroidal shapes for various packing geometries. Two cases are considered: (1) isothermal densification (in the α- or β-fields of CP-Ti and in the β-field of Ti-6Al-4V) where power-law creep dominates and (2) thermal cycling densification (across the α/β-phase transformation of Ti-6Al-4V) where transformation mismatch plasticity controls deformation at low stresses. Reasonable agreement is achieved between numerical results and previously published experimental measurements and continuum modeling predictions.     

Strength and plastic flow in “in situ” TiC reinforced aluminum composites

The deformation behavior of TiC particulate-reinforced aluminum composites (Al-TiC _p ) was investigated in this work using pure aluminum as the reference matrix material. Uniaxial compression tests were carried out at 293 and 623 K and at two strain rates (3.7×10⁻⁴ and 3.7×10⁻³ s⁻¹). Yield strengths of up to 127 MPa were found in composites containing 10 vol pct TiC particulates, which were almost 4 times the yield strength of pure Al. In addition, at 623 K, relatively small reductions in yield strength were found, suggesting that this property was rather insensitive to temperature for the temperatures investigated in this work. Nevertheless, at 623 K, increasing the rate of straining from 3.7×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ to 3.7×10⁻³ s⁻¹ lowered the yield strength, particularly in 10 vol pct TiC _p -Al composites. Two stages of work hardening were identified in pure Al and a 10 vol pct TiC _p composite during plastic flow through the modified version of the Hollomon equation (σ = Kɛ ⁿ ± Δ). In particular, the work-hardening exponents found in pure Al shifted from high to low values as the extent of plastic strain was increased while the opposite was true for the 10 vol pct TiC _p composite. Finally, at 623 K, dynamic recovery mechanisms became dominant at plastic strain levels >0.2 in 10 vol pct TiC _p -Al composites, with the effect being minor at room temperature.     

Improvement of the hardness and wear resistance of (TiC, TiN)/Ti-6Al-4V surface-alloyed materials fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation

This study is concerned with the microstructural analysis and improvement of the hardness and wear resistance of Ti-6Al-4V surface-alloyed materials fabricated by a high-energy electron beam. The mixtures of TiC, TiN, or TiC + TiN powders and CaF₂ flux were deposited on a Ti-6Al-4V substrate, and then the electron beam was irradiated on these mixtures. In the specimens processed with a flux addition, the surface-alloyed layers of 1 mm in thickness were homogeneously formed without defects and contained a large amount (over 30 vol pct) of precipitates such as TiC, TiN, (Ti _x Al_1−x )N, and Ti(C _x N_1−x ) in the martensitic or N-rich acicular α-Ti matrix. This microstructural modification, including the formation of hard precipitates and hardened matrices in the surface-alloyed layers, improved the hardness and wear resistance. Particularly in the surface-alloyed material fabricated by the deposition of TiN powders, the wear resistance was greatly enhanced to a level 10 times higher than that of the Ti alloy substrate. These findings suggested that surface alloying using high-energy electron-beam irradiation was economical and useful for the development of titanium-based surface-alloyed materials with improved hardness and wear resistance.     

Correlation of microstructure with the hardness and wear resistance of (TiC,SiC)/Ti-6Al-4V surface composites fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation

The correlation of microstructure with the hardness and wear resistance of (TiC,SiC)/Ti-6Al-4V surface composites fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation was investigated in this study. The mixtures of TiC, SiC, or TiC + SiC powders and CaF₂ flux were placed on a Ti-6Al-4V substrate, and then an electron beam was irradiated on these mixtures using an electron-beam accelerator. The surface composite layers of 1.2 to 2.1 mm in thickness were formed without defects and contained a large amount (up to 66 vol pct) of precipitates such as TiC and Ti₅Si₃ in the martensitic matrix. This microstructural modification, including the formation of hard precipitates and a hardened matrix in the surface composite layer, improved the hardness and wear resistance. Particularly in the surface composite fabricated with TiC + SiC powders, the wear resistance was greatly enhanced to a level 25 times higher than that of the Ti alloy substrate, because 66 vol pct of TiC and Ti₅Si₃ was precipitated homogeneously in the hardened martensitic matrix. These findings suggested that high-energy electron-beam irradiation was useful for the development of Ti-based surface composites with improved hardness and wear properties.     

Correlation of microstructure with wear and fracture properties of two-layered VC/Ti-6Al-4V surface composites fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation

Correlation of microstructure with the hardness, wear resistance, and fracture toughness of two-layered VC/Ti-6Al-4V surface composites fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation was investigated in this study. A mixture of VC powders and CaF₂ flux was deposited on a Ti-6Al-4V substrate, and then an electron beam was irradiated on these powder mixtures to fabricate an one-layered surface composite. A two-layered surface composite was fabricated by irradiating an electron-beam again onto the powder mixture deposited on the one-layered surface composite. The composite layers of 1.2 to 1.5 mm in thickness were homogeneously formed without defects and contained a large amount (25 to 40 vol pct) of carbides in the martensitic or β-Ti matrix. This microstructural modification, including the formation of hard carbides and hardened matrix, improved the hardness and wear resistance. Particularly in the two-layered surface composite containing more carbides, the wear resistance was greatly enhanced to a level 7 times higher than that of the Ti-6Al-4V substrate. In-situ observation of the fracture process showed that microcracks were initiated at carbides and propagated along these microcracked carbides and that shear bands were formed in the matrix between these microcracks. In the two-layered surface composite, numerous microcracks were initiated at many carbides and then rapidly propagated along them, thereby lowering the fracture toughness.     

Mechanochemical processing of nanocrystalline Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Synthesis of nanocrystalline Ti-6Al-4V was explored using mechanochemical processing. The reaction mixture was comprised of CaH₂, Mg powder, anhydrous AlCl₃, anhydrous VCl₃, and TiCl₄. The milled powder (reaction product) primarily consisted of nanocrystalline alloy hydride having a composition (Ti-6Al-4V)H_1.942, along with MgCl₂ and CaCl₂ as by-products. Aqueous solutions of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and 1 pct sodium sulfite were found to be very effective in leaching of the chlorides from the milled powder. The (Ti-6Al-4V)H_1.942 on dehydrogenation at 375°C resulted in nanocrystalline Ti-6Al-4V alloy powder.     

Deformation mechanisms in Ti-6Al-4V/TiC composites

The compressive behavior at room temperature of Ti-6Al-4V/TiC composites was examined at strain rates from 0.1 to 1000 s⁻¹. As little as 1 vol pct TiC particulates provided greater than a 20 pct increase in strength over that of the monolithic Ti-6Al-4V, while further additions of TiC did not provide proportional benefits. Microstructural examination before and after compression testing was instrumental in understanding the relative importance of the primary strengthening mechanism in the composites as compared to the monolithic material. A comparison of the various possible mechanisms clearly showed that the dominant mechanism was due to carbon in solid solution. At low strain rates, the failure process consisted of a progression of damage in the matrix and at particle-matrix boundaries, while at high strain rates, failure occurred along adiabatic shear bands. The composites had a greater susceptibility to adiabatic shear-band formation than did the monolithic material.     

Microstructural Modification and property improvement of boride/Ti-6Al-4V surface-alloyed materials fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation

The present study is concerned with the fabrication and microstructural analysis of boride/Ti-6Al-4V surface-alloyed materials using the irradiation of a high-energy electron beam. Mixtures of TiB₂ or MoB powders and CaF₂ flux were placed on a Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrate and subsequently irradiated using a high-energy electron beam. Specimens processed with a flux mixing ratio of 40 wt pct showed that the melted region of 1.1 to 1.5 mm in thickness was homogeneously formed without defects and contained a large amount of titanium borides (TiB). The formation of TiB in the melted region greatly improved the Vickers hardness, high-temperature Vickers hardness, and wear resistance to levels 2 or 3 three times higher than the those for the Ti alloy substrate. Also, the addition of MoB powders into the mixtures made possible the fabrication of surface-alloyed materials with various properties by controlling the kind, size, and volume fraction of TiB and the characteristics of the matrix. These findings suggested that surface alloying using high-energy electron-beam irradiation was economical and useful for the development of boride/Ti-6Al-4V surface-alloyed materials with improved properties.     

High-temperature oxidation of Ti3Al-based titanium aluminides in oxygen

The oxidation behavior of Ti-25Al, Ti-24Al-15Nb, and Ti-25Al-11Nb (at. pct) titanium aluminides was studied in dry oxygen at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range 1000 to 1300 K for 4 to 6 hours by thermogravimetry. The oxidation products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Although some departures from the parabolic rate law were found, the analysis of data revealed that the parabolic rate law was a more reliable basis for interpretation of results as compared to the empirical power law. Parabolic rate constants (k _p ) for Ti-24Al-15Nb and Ti-25Al-11Nb were almost the same at the same temperature. However, k _p values for Ti-25Al were 2 to 8 times larger than niobium-containing alloys except at 1000 K, where k _p values for all three alloys were approximately the same. The effective activation energy (Q _eff) was 289 kJ/mole for Ti-25Al in the range of 1000 to 1300 K, while in the case of Ti-24Al-15Nb and Ti-25Al-11Nb,Q _eff values were 329 and 330 kJ/mole, respectively, in the range of 1100 to 1300 K. In general, the scales on Ti-25Al were porous and exhibited significant spallation above 1100 K. The scales were thinner, compact, and adherent for niobium-containing alloys. The scales formed on these alloys were predominantly composed of TiO₂, while Al₂O₃ was also present as a minor constituent. The superior oxidation resistance of the niobium-containing alloys has been attributed to the doping effect of niobium in TiO₂.     

The effect of alloying additions on the superplastic properties of Ti-6 pct Al-4 pct V

The superplastic deformation properties of Ti-6 pct Al-4 pct V and modified alloys containing 1/4 pct, 1/2 pct, 1 pct, and 2 pct of either cobalt or nickel have been investigated in the temperature range 950 to 750 °C. The results show that both cobalt and nickel modified alloys have reduced flow stresses, in comparison with Ti-6 pct Al-4 pct V, the reductions being particularly marked at the lower temperatures and lower strain rates. The results are shown to be consistent with an isostress model for the deformation of (α + β) two-phase alloys in which the varying β volume fractions and differing diffusivities of titanium, cobalt, or nickel in the β phase are taken into account.     

Dry sliding wear of a Ti50Ni25Cu25 particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composite

The objective of this article is to characterize the sliding wear behavior of a 30 vol pct Ti₅₀Ni₂₅Cu₂₅ particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composite under dry conditions. The transformation temperatures of Ti₅₀Ni₂₅Cu₂₅ particles were measured before and after the compounding procedure by the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) method. The wear tests were carried out on a pin-on-disc machine. A 10 vol pct SiC particulate-reinforced composite and pure aluminum were chosen as the comparison specimens. The results indicate that Al-30 vol pct Ti₅₀Ni₂₅Cu₂₅ composites exhibit higher wear resistance than their unreinforced matrices and are comparable with Al-10 vol pct SiC composites in this experiment. A self-adaptive mechanism that contributes to the wear resistance of an Al-30 vol pct Ti₅₀Ni₂₅Cu₂₅ composite is proposed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy diffraction spectrum (EDS) examinations were carried out to investigate the wear mechanism and interface reactions. The results indicate that the interfacial reaction is a predominant factor in determining the wear behavior of the Ti₅₀Ni₂₅Cu₂₅/Al composite.     

An investigation of the fatigue and fracture behavior of a Nb-12Al-44Ti-1.5Mo intermetallic alloy

This article presents the results of a study of the fatigue and fracture behavior of a damage-tolerant Nb-12Al-44Ti-1.5Mo alloy. This partially ordered B2 + orthorhombic intermetallic alloy is shown to have attractive combinations of room-temperature ductility (11 to 14 pct), fracture toughness (60 to 92 MPa√m), and comparable fatigue crack growth resistance to IN718, Ti-6Al-4V, and pure Nb at room temperature. The studies show that tensile deformation in the Nb-12Al-44Ti-1.5Mo alloy involves localized plastic deformation (microplasticity via slip-band formation) which initiates at stress levels that are significantly below the uniaxial yield stress (∼9.6 pct of the 0.2 pct offset yield strength (YS)). The onset of bulk yielding is shown to correspond to the spread of microplasticity completely across the gage sections of the tensile specimen. Fatigue crack initiation is also postulated to occur by the accumulation of microplasticity (coarsening of slip bands). Subsequent fatigue crack growth then occurs by the “unzipping” of cracks along slip bands that form ahead of the dominant crack tip. The proposed mechanism of fatigue crack growth is analogous to the unzipping crack growth mechanism that was suggested originally by Neumann for crack growth in single-crystal copper. Slower near-threshold fatigue crack growth rates at 750 °C are attributed to the shielding effects of oxide-induced crack closure. The fatigue and fracture behavior are also compared to those of pure Nb and emerging high-temperature niobium-based intermetallics.     

Improvement of hardness and wear resistance of (TiC,TiB)/Ti-6Al-4V surface-alloyed materials fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation

The objective of this study is to investigate microstructure, hardness, and wear properties of three kinds of (TiC,TiB)/Ti-6Al-4V surface-alloyed materials fabricated by high-energy electron-beam irradiation. The mixtures of Ti+C, TiC+TiB₂, and Ti+B₄C powders and CaF₂ flux were deposited on a Ti-6A1-4V substrate, and then high-energy electron beam was irradiated on these mixtures. The surface-alloyed layers of 0.9 to 1.6 mm in thickness were homogeneously formed, and contained a large amount (30 to 44 vol. pct) of hard precipitates such as TiC and TiB in the martensitic matrix. This microstructural modification improved the hardness and wear resistance of the surface-alloyed layer 2 times and 6 to 9 times, respectively, greater than that of the substrate. Particularly, the surface-alloyed material fabricated with Ti+B₄C powders had a larger volume fraction of TiB and TiC homogeneously distributed in the martensitic matrix, and thus showed the best hardness and wear resistance. These findings suggested that the surface-alloying using high-energy electron-beam irradiation was economical and useful for the development of titanium-base surface-alloyed materials with improved hardness and wear properties.     

Cold Consolidation of Ball-Milled Titanium Powders Using High-Pressure Torsion

Pure Ti (99.5 pct) powders after processing with ball milling (BM) were consolidated to disc-shaped samples with 10-mm diameter and 0.8-mm thickness at room temperature using high-pressure torsion (HPT). A relative density as high as 99.9 pct, high bending and tensile strengths of 2.55 to 3.45 and 1.35 GPa, respectively, and a moderate ductility of 8 pct with an ultrafine grained structure are achieved after cold consolidation with HPT, which exceed those of hot consolidation methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that a phase transformation occurs from α phase to ω phase during HPT under a pressure of 6 GPa as in bulk pure Ti, whereas no phase transformation is detected after processing with BM alone. It was confirmed that the strength and ductility are improved by a combined application of BM and HPT when compared with other severe plastic deformation methods applied to Ti and Ti-6 pct Al-4 pct V, so that no alloying elements are required for the achievement of a comparable strength and ductility.