Microstructural stability of long term aging treated Ti-22Al-26Nb-1Zr orthorhombic titanium aluminide

The microstructure development of lamellar structure of an orthorhombic Ti2AlNb-based Ti？22Al？26Nb？1Zr alloy, includingB2 decomposition and spheroidization ofO phase, was investigated. The results show that the lamellar structure is fabricated by heating the samples in the singleB2 phase field and cooling slowly in the furnace. Aging treatments are conducted in the （O＋B2） phases field by air cooling. After aging at 700 °C for a short time within 100 h, there is no significant change of microstructures, whereas the coarsening of lamellae is observed in the long-term aged microstructure. Ti？22Al？26Nb？1Zr alloy exhibits microstructural instability including the severe dissolution ofB2 lamella, discontinuous precipitation and spheroidization of O phase during the long term aging process at 700 °C up to 800 h. In addition, a pronounced formation of branch-shapedO phase lamella is observed for the alloy aged over 100 h.

Effects of Microstructure on the Tensile, Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Behaviour of Gamma Titanium Aluminides

The effects of microstructure on the deformation and fracture behaviour of two-phase TiAl alloys were investjgated under monotonic and cyclical loading conditions, over a range of temperatu res.The tensile behaviour is analyzed for deformation temperatures between RT and 950℃, Fracture resistance behaviour and toughening mechanisms at RT and 800℃ are analyzed. and the inverse relationship botween ductility and toughness is explained using the crack initiation toughness. The preliminary results of load-controlled fatigue behaviour at 800℃ are interpreted using the tensile behaviour because deformation structure and fracture modes are similar under these two loading conditions

Effect of niobium alloying level on the oxidation behavior of titanium aluminides at 850°C

This work addresses the alloying of titanium aluminides used in aircraft engine applications and automobiles. The oxidation resistance behavior of two titanium aluminides of α2 ＋ γ （Ti3Al ＋ TiAl） and orthorhombic Ti2NbAl, recognized as candidates for high-temperature applications, was investigated by exposure of the alloys for 100 h in air. Thus, oxidation resistance was expressed as the mass gain rate, whereas surface aspects were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and the type of oxidation products was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The orthorhombic Ti2NbAl alloy was embrittled, and pores and microcracks were formed as a result of oxygen diffusion through the external oxide layer formed during thermal oxidation for 100 h.

GAMMA TITANIUM ALUMINIDE ALLOY TECHNOLOGY:STATUS AND FUTURE

Gam matitanium aluminide ( γ TiAl) alloys are emerging as a revolutionary engineeringmaterialsfor hightemperaturestructuralapplications. Onthebasisoftheinformation avail ablein the public domain, this paper discussesthe historical background,status and future prospect of gam maalloytechnologyintheareasofalloy development/ design,processdevelop ment, and applications.

A New Process for Titanium Aluminides Production from TiO_2

This paper describes a new process for producing titanium aluminides, in particular TiAl, from TiO2 raw material. On the basis of obtained results, the non-completed reaction of TiO2 with Al and Ca in a special reaction vessel results in the production of granulates of titanium aluminides especially Ti3Al and other Ti- Al phases as the metallic product and Ca12Al14O33 as the non-metallic product. By adding KClO4 in the mixture, a nearly completed reaction can be carried out. The products of this reaction are titanium aluminide particularly TiAl as the metallic part and CaAl4O7 （grossite） as the non-metallic slag part. Both product and slag are produced in a separated form. This process, called KRH-method is described in this article. The scanning electron microscopic microstructure of metallic part of the product shows different phases： the matrix phase is TiAI, where the needle form precipitation is TiAl2 and the plate form precipitation includes TiAI and Ti3Al phases. The microstructure of the remelted metallic part indicates dendritic phase with a lamellar structure comprising of TiAl and Ti3Al phases. The interdendritic phase of TiAI is also seen.

Fractal Dimensions of Hydrogen Induced Brittle Fracture of Titanium Aluminide

The relationship between the stress intensity factor K_1~* required for brittle crack initiation and propa- gation and the fractal dimension D_F of the fracture surface was derived,i.e, InK_1~*=(1/2)In2γE'+(1/2)In(d_f/L_0)(1-D_F) The real surface energy can be calculated based on the measured linear relation of the InK_1~* vs D_F, The equation is not only suitable for the overload fracture but also for the delayed fracture,e.g. hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC).The experiment results showed that the hydrogen induced delayed cracking occurred in the Ti-24AI-11 Nb alloy during dy- namic charging,and the threshold stress intensity factor was very low,i.e..K_(IH)/K_(IC)= 0.43.The ex- perimental relationship between the stress intensity factor K_1~* and D_F was consistent with the theo- retical equation.

Effect of Pressure and Temperature on Phase Transformation and Properties of Titanium Aluminide Obtained through Reaction Synthesis

Reaction synthesis process has been used to develop γ titanium aluminide using elemental powders. Powder mixture of Ti-48 at. pct AI was prepared in ball mill and reaction synthesis was carried out in hot press with varying temperature and pressure. Titanium aluminide synthesized under high pressure and temperature resulted in better properties with respect to densification, homogenization response, mechanical properties and oxidation resistance as compared to that synthesized under low pressure and temperature. AI rich phases were observed in as-synthesized condition in all the experiments. However, some Ti rich phases were also found in high pressure-temperature synthesized samples. Density, hardness and tensile strength have been correlated with applied pressure through empirical relations. Variation in density with pressure is found to be logarithmic whereas hardness and tensile strength variation with pressure is polynomial.

A study on the porosity of CO_2 laser welding of titanium alloy

The CO2 laser welding of BT20 titanium alloy and Ti-23Al-17Nb titanium aluminide was conducted to investigate into the porosity in titanium alloy weld. The results show that there are two sorts of porosities observed in welds of titanium alloy laser welding based on the microscopic characteristics of the porosities. One is the metallurgical porosity with round and smooth inner wall, which results from the surface contamination. The other is the processing porosity with irregular and rough inner wall that displays the trace of the pool flowing, which results from the ruffle on the keyhole wall gathering together locally and closing down the gas in the keyhole into bubbles because of the keyhole fluctuating. The CO2 laser welding could break down easily the surface oxide film and produce little metallurgical porosity, but produces easily processing porosity when partial penetration or unstable-full penetration laser welding is conducted, which always occurs in the center of weld.

Kinetic study on NaF-activated pack-aluminizing of pure titanium at 950-1100℃

Pure titanium samples were aluminized at 950,1025 and 1100 ℃ for 0-6 h in a pack containing 10%Al＋5%NaF＋85%Al2O3 in mass traction.The aluminized layers formed on the samples were characterized.The kinetic studies indicated that the diffusion of Al-bearing gases through the pack is the rate-controlling step in this process.The activation energy of 161.8 kJ/mol was calculated for this step.In addition,the mass gains of the aluminized samples were predicted using the partial pressures of gases in the pack and those adjacent to the samples surface.The predicted values are in good agreement wim the experimental measurements at 950 ℃ but are higher than those measured at 1025 and 1100 ℃.

Microstructure control and mechanical properties of directionally solidified TiAl-Nb alloys

The double directional solidification（DS） technique was developed to control the lamellar microstructures in primary β TiAl-Nb alloys.Polysynthetically twinned（PST） crystals with lamellar boundaries parallel to or inclined 45o to the growth direction were achieved due to the complete peritectic transformation during directional solidification of the alloys with the dendritic solid/liquid interface.The PST crystals with aligned lamellar boundaries only parallel to the growth direction were produced when lamellar grains with lamellar boundaries in the same orientation were seeded by themselves under appropriate growth conditions.Low boron addition is harmful to align the lamellar orientation because of the growth of non-peritectic α phase.Due to the larger yttria particles and boride ribbons in the directionally solidified TiAl-Nb alloys,the tensile plastic elongations of the alloys are only close to 2%.

Elimination of misrun and gas hole defects of investment casting TiAl alloy turbocharger based on numerical simulation and experimental study

Casting technology of thin-wall TiAl alloy turbochargers was studied by investment casting and numerical simulation.Misruns and gas holes were the main defects observed in preliminary work due to the poor fluidity of alloy,and to gas entrapment.In order to eliminate these defects,cast parameters,such as centrifugal rotation rate and mould preheating temperature,were optimized by numerical simulation,meanwhile,the structure of the shell mould was optimized to improve the filling capacity of TiAl alloy.Pouring experiments were carried out by vacuum induction melting furnace equipped with a water-cooled copper crucible based on the above optimization.The quality of the TiAl alloy casting was analyzed by fluorescent penetrant inspection and X-ray detection.The results show that a centrifugal rotation rate of 200 rpm,mould preheating temperature of 600°C,shell preparation through organic fiber addition can dramatically improve the mould filling capacity,and integrated turbochargers were finally prepared.

Effect of cooling rate on solidification microstructure and mechanical properties of TiB2-containing TiAl alloy

Effects of cooling rate and 0.25 at.%TiB2 addition on solidification microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti−48Al−2Cr−2Nb alloys fabricated by the investment casting with different thicknesses were studied.The results show that with the cooling rate increasing from 37 to 2×102 K/s,the solidification path of the studied alloys is unchanged.The grain size of the matrix alloy is refined from 650 to 300μm,while the grain size of Ti−48Al−2Cr−2Nb−TiB2 is reduced from 550 to 80μm.The lamellar spacing of matrix alloy is reduced from 360 to 30 nm with increasing the cooling rate from 37 to 2×102 K/s,while TiB2 addition shows little refinement effect on the lamellar spacing.Ti−48Al−2Cr−2Nb−TiB2 sample under medium cooling rate(69 K/s)exhibits superior microhardness(HV 550)and ultimate tensile strength(570 MPa)among the studied alloys.The refined grain size,lamellar spacing and fine TiB2 particles could account for the favorable mechanical properties of the studied TiB2-containing alloy.The microstructure evolution was discussed in light of cooling rate,constitutional supercooling and borides addition.

Deformability and microstructure transformation of PM TiAl alloy prepared by pseudo-HIP technology

Microstructures and deformation properties of Ti-46Al-(Cr,Nb,W,B)alloy consolidated by pseudo-HIP technology were investigated.The results show that the pseudo-HIP temperature has a significant effect on microstructures.When the sintering temperature is 1 100℃,the microstructure of as-pseudo-HIPped alloy is similar to that of the prealloyed powder and the interfaces of these powder particles are still discernible,but a nearγmicrostructure appears in particles.Increasing the pressing temperature to 1 200℃develops successfully a homogeneous and fine-grained duplex microstructure.A typically fully lamellar microstructure with residualβphase is developed at 1 300℃.The compact exhibits excellent deformation properties at elevated temperatures. When the compression temperature is higher than 1 100℃,high quality products without cracks can be obtained even if the engineering compression strain is up to 0.8 at strain rates of 10-2-10-3s-1.It can be established that the mechanical twinning and matrix deformation due to ordinary dislocation slip/climb contribute to the whole hot deformation.

Microstructural characterization of electron beam welded joints of TiAl-based intermetallic compound

The feasibility to use electron beam welding to join the nominal compositionTi-48Al-2Cr-2Nb (at. percent) alloy was assessed. The microstructure characterization and crackingsusceptibility of the joints were evaluated by means of OM, SEM, XRD, and microhardness. It wasfound that the welded microstructure exhibited columnar and dendritic structures. Microstructuralconstituents in the fusion zone were a massive gamma structure and some amount of lamellar structureconsisting of alternating platelets of alpha_2 and gamma. The major contributing factor to thesusceptibility to solidification cracking was microsturctural change in this study for thesuppression of a phase decomposition leading to produce more retained alpha_2 brittle phase.Compared with transgranular cleavage fracture in the base metal, the weld metal exhibited mainlytranslamellar fracture.

Preparation of low-oxygen-containing Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy powder by direct reduction of oxides

A high-purity Ti-48Al-2Nb-2Cr alloy powder with an oxygen content as low as 0.0572 wt.%and a particle size of<150μm was produced from a mixture of TiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),Nb_(2)O_(5),and Cr_(2)O_(3)powders through reduction with magnesium and deoxidation with calcium.The phase and composition of the products were analyzed.The final product mainly includedγ-TiAl and minorα_(2)-Ti_(3)Al phases,and Ti,Al,Cr,and Nb were homogenously distributed in the powder with a mole ratio of 49.73:43.51:2.05:1.98.The reduction and deoxidation mechanisms were investigated by thermodynamic modeling using the HSC Chemistry software and Pandat software based on the Ti alloy database.

Fabrication of wavy γ-TiAl based sheet with foil metallurgy

A 0.7 mm-thick wavy γ-TiAl sheet with fully lamellar microstructure was fabricated by hot pressing Ti/Al alternate foils with heat treatment of 640 °C, 15 h＋850 °C, 35 h＋1350 °C, 2 h. The intermetallic compounds formed during heat treatments were identified by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. TiAl3 was the only observed phase at the Ti/Al interface when Al foils were not consumed. After being annealed at 850 °C for 35 h, the microstructure was composed of α-Ti, α2-Ti3Al, γ-TiAl and TiAl2. A fully lamellar microstructure formed after annealing at 1350 °C. Most of the angles between the lamellar interface and the sheet plane are below 30°. Using thinner starting foils is favorable to produce sheets with fine microstructure.

Reaction procedure of a graphite fiber reinforced Ti-Al composite produced by squeeze casting-in situ reaction

The in situ reaction procedure and microstructure evolution of a graphite fiber reinforced Ti-Al composite （Grf/Ti-Al） was investigated, and the stability of TiAl3 at high temperature was discussed. As-cast material was prepared by pressing molten pure aluminum into a preform, which was composed of titanium particles and graphite fibers. The in situ reaction procedure of the as-cast material was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, and phases in the products were detected by X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Experimental results showed that TiAl3 was formed first. With an increase in temperature, TiC and Al4C3 were observed, but TiAl3 decreased. In the final product, Al2O3 and TiO2 were observed. It was considered that the previous forming TiAl3 decomposed, then TiC precipitated, and subsequently, oxidation resulted in the formation of Al2O3 and TiO2.

Fabrication of in situ Ti_2AlN/TiAl Composites by Reaction Hot Pressing and Their Properties

Ti2AIN/TiAI composites with different volume fractions of reinforcement were successfully fabricated by hot-pressing sintering method （reaction hot pressing） using Ti, Al and TiN powders as starting materials. The synthesis process includes four stages： first, the reactions between Al and Ti powers and between Al and TiN powders respectively occur and result in TiAl3 phase; secondly, AI powders in the sample are exhausted; the remaining Ti cores react with TiAl3 layer to form Ti-Al intermetallics; moreover, a few Ti2AlN particles precipitate from the TiAl3 phase; thirdly, Ti-Al intermetallics react with the remaining Ti cores to form Ti3Al and TiAl phases. TiAl phase and original TiN powers are in direct contact each other; finally, the residual TiN powers react with TiAl phase and result in a plenty of TizAIN phase. Compared with TiAl matrix, the hardness, elastic modulus and high-temperature compressive strength of Ti2AlN/TiAl composite are improved obviously and they are all enhanced with increasing the volume fraction of Ti2AlN phase.

Fabrication of an r-Al_2Ti intermetallic matrix composite reinforced with α-Al_2O_3 ceramic by discontinuous mechanical milling for thermite reaction

In this study, a powder mixture with an Al/TiO2 molar ratio of 10/3 was used to form an r-Al2Ti intermetallic matrix composite （IMC） reinforced with α-Al2O3 ceramic by a novel milling technique, called discontinuous mechanical milling （DMM） instead of milling and ignition of the produced thermite. The results of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDX） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） of samples with varying milling time indicate that this fabrication process requires considerable mechanical energy. It is shown that Al2Ti-α-Al2O3 IMC with small grain size was produced by DMM after 15 h of ball milling. Peaks for γ-TLA1 as well as Al2Ti and Al2O3 are observed in XRD patterns after DMM followed by heat treatment. The microhardness of the DMM-treated composite produced after heat treatment was higher than Hv 700.

Microstructures of mechanically activated Ti-46at.%Al powders and spark plasma sintered ultrafine TiAl alloy

Powder of Ti-46at.%Al was synthesized through mechanical activation （MA） for different milling times, and the 16 h MAed powder was sintered by using a spark plasma sintering （SPS） process at different sintering temperatures. The XRD profiles showed that the MAed Ti-46at,%Al powder for 12, 16, and 20 h contained initial α-Ti and Al phases, and that the SPSed TiAl alloys contained the gamma TiAl and α2-Ti3Al phases. The TEM showed two different types of regions in the 16 h MAed Ti-46at.%Al powder. One type consisted of only Al with a grain size about 80 nm, and the other type a mixture of Al and Ti with a grain size of 30 nm. According to the optical micrographs of MA-SPSed samples, the alloys sintered at higher temperatures showed a coarser microstructure. In the case of the 1473 Ksintering, typical duplex structures （（α2 ＋γ） lamella and γ phases） with interlamellar spacings of 50-400 nm and the grain size either less than 100 nm, or 1000 nm were observed.