Effects of induction heat treatment on mechanical properties of TiAl-based alloy

The effects of rapid heating cyclic heat treatment on mechanical properties of a TiAl based alloy (Ti 33Al 3Cr) were studied by means of an induction heating machine. The results show that: 1) fine fully lamellar microstructure with colony size of about 50 μm and lamellar spacing of about 0.12 μm can be obtained; 2) the compression mechanical properties can be improved to a large extent and the best comprehensive compression mechanical properties can reach the yield stress 745 MPa, the large flow stress 1 672 MPa and the compression ratio 19.4%; and 3) the compression fracture at room temperature after induction heat treatment and aging is still typical cleavage fracture.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and tensile properties of A356 alloys

Two heat treatments of A356 alloys with combined addition of rare earth and strontium were conducted.T6 treatment is a long time treatment（solution at 535 ℃ for 4 h ＋ aging at 150 ℃ for 15 h）.The other treatment is a short time treatment（solution at 550 ℃ for 2 h ＋ aging at 170 ℃ for 2 h）.The effects of heat treatment on microstructure and tensile properties of the Al-7%Si-0.3%Mg alloys were investigated by optical microscopy,scanning electronic microscopy and tension test.It is found that a 2 h solution at 550 ℃ is sufficient to make homogenization and saturation of magnesium and silicon in α（Al） phase,spheroid of eutectic Si phase.Followed by solution,a 2 h artificial aging at 170 ℃ is almost enough to produce hardening precipitates.Those samples treated with T6 achieve the maximum tensile strength and fracture elongation.With short time treatment（ST）,samples can reach 90% of the maximum yield strength,95% of the maximum strength,and 80% of the maximum elongation.

Microstructure and tensile properties of containerless near-isothermally forged TiAl alloys

Ti-47Al-2Nb-2Cr-0.4（W, Mo） （mole fraction, %） alloy ingot fabricated using vacuum consumable melting was containerless near-isothermally forged, and the high temperature forgeability, microstructure and tensile properties were investigated. The results show that the TiAl ingot exhibits good heat workability during containerless near-isothermally forging process, and there are not evident cracks on the surface of as-forged TiAl pancake with a total deformation degree of 60%. The microstructure of the TiAl ingot appears to be typical nearly-lamellar（NL）, comprising a great amount of lamellar colonies （α2＋γ） and a few equiaxed γ grains. After near-isothermally forging, the as-forged pancake shows primarily fine equiaxed γ grains with an average grain size of 20 μm and some broken lamellar pieces, and some bent lamellas still exist in the hard-deformation zone. Tensile tests at room temperature show that ultimate tensile strength increases from 433 MPa to 573 MPa after forging due to grain refinement effect.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructures and Properties of Near-Isothermally Forged TiAl Alloy Containing Minor Ni

The heat treatment, including two steps, was proposed to obtain Fine Fully Lamellar (FFL) microstructure on TiAl containing minor Ni. The first step was in (a+y) phase region to get Duplex (DP) microstructure, and the second step was in a phase region transforming DP microstructure into FFL microstructure. The effect of heat treatment on microstructures and properties was studied. The results showed that the static recrystallization kinetics in (a+y) phase region took the form of Avrami equitation, and the remnant lamellae in DP microstructure were detrimental to room temperature tensile properties. The FL microstructures were obtained after heat treatment in phase region using DP microstructure, the uniform FFL microstructure was beneficial to comprehensive properties.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of forgedβ-solidifiedγ-TiAl alloy by different heat treatments

The microstructural evolution and tensile properties of a forged Ti−42Al−5Mn alloy subjected to different heat treatments were studied.The results showed that,when the forged alloy was aged at 800℃ for 24 h,the interlamellar spacing(λ)andγgrain size at colony boundaries are generally coarsened.Whereas,when the alloy was first annealed at 1300℃ and then aged at 800℃ for 24 h,this coarsening of related microstructures appears less pronounced.The suggested annealing temperatures for the forged Ti−42Al−5Mn alloy are in the range of 1250−1300℃.It was found that,on the condition of the same annealing system,both the strength and ductility were improved as the aging temperature changed from 1000 to 800℃.The secondary precipitatedβo(β_(o,sec))at colony boundaries could be responsible for improving the strength,and theγphase at colony boundaries with the grain size about 6μm might be one of the main reasons for the better ductility.

Effect of post weld heat treatment on tensile properties and microstructure characteristics of friction stir welded armour grade AA7075-T651aluminium alloy

This paper reports the effects of post weld heat treatments, namely artificial ageing and solution treatment followed by artificial ageing, on microstructure and mechanical properties of 12 mm thick friction stir welded joints of precipitation hardenable high strength armour grade AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy. The tensile properties, such as yield strength, tensile strength, elongation and notch tensile strength, are evaluated and correlated with the microhardness and microstructural features. The scanning electron microscope is used to characterie the fracture surfaces. The solution treatment followed by ageing heat treatment cycle is found to be marginally beneficial in improving the tensile properties of friction stir welds of AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy.

A NEW HEAT TREATMENT PROCESSING FOR TiAl BASED ALLOY

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Microstructure characterization and tensile properties of a Ni-containing TiAl-based alloy with heat treatment

The effects of Ni addition on solidification micro structure and tensile properties of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,scanning electron microscopy（SEM） equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscope（EDS） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）.Results show that with 3 at%Ni addition,the as-cast micro structure is mainly composed of fine lamellar colonies（~50 μm）,γ grains and Ni-ridied τ_3 phase.After heat treatment at 1380℃,the Ni-containing alloy is characterized by fine fully lamellar micro structure（~90 μm）.The heat-treated Ni-containing specimen exhibits superior room temperature tensile properties than other specimens.The tensile properties are discussed in light of the microstructure evolution and role of Ni-riched τ_3 phase.

Microstructure Characteristics and Elevated Temperature Mechanical Properties of a B Containedβ-solidifiedγ-TiAl Alloy

The improved microstructure and enhanced elevated temperature mechanical properties of Ti-44Al-5Nb-(Mo,V,B)alloys were obtained by vacuum arc re-melting(VAR)and primary annealing heat treatment(HT)of 1260℃/6 h/Furnace cooling(FC).The phase transformation,microstructure evolution and tensile properties for as-cast and HTed alloys were investigated.Results indicate that three main phase transformation points are determined,T_(eut)=1164.3℃,T_(γsolv)=1268.3℃and T_(βtrans)=1382.8℃.There are coarse lamellar colonies(300μm in length)and neighbor reticular B2 andγgrain(3-5μm)in as-cast alloy,while lamellar colonies are markedly refined and multi-oriented(20-50μm)as well as the volume fraction and grain sizes of equiaxedγand B2 phases(about 15μm)significantly increase in as-HTed alloy.Phase transformations involvingα+γ→α+γ+β/B2 and discontinuousγcoarsening contribute to the above characteristics.Borides(1-3μm)act as nucleation sites forβ_(eutectic) and produce massiveβgrains with different orientations,thus effectively refining the lamellar colonies and forming homogeneous multi-phase microstructure.Tensile curves show both the alloys exhibit suitable performance at 800℃.As-cast alloy shows a higher ultimate tensile stress of 647 MPa,while a better total elongation of more than 41%is obtained for as-HTed alloy.The mechanical properties improvement is mainly attributed to fine,multi-oriented lamellar colonies,coordinated deformation of homogeneous multi-phase microstructure and borides within lamellar interface preventing crack propagation.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a multidirectionally forged Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr-Ag alloy

Multidirectional forging(MDF)was successfully applied to fabricate large-size Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr-Ag alloy in this work and effects of T4,T5 and T6 treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-forged alloy were analyzed.Results show that dynamic recrystallization(DRX)occurs and second phase particles precipitate along the grain boundary during the MDF process.After annealing treatment(T4),the volume fraction and size of dynamic precipitates slightly increase at a lower temperature(430℃)compared with those of MDFed sample,while they are dissolved into theα-Mg matrix at a higher temperature(450℃).At the meantime,short plate-shaped long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)phases are observed in the DRX grains of the MDFed sample and then dissolved into theα-Mg matrix during annealing at both temperatures.Typical basal texture is identified in the MDFed sample,but the basal pole tilts away from final forging direction and rare-earth texture component with<1121>orientation parallel to penultimate forging direction becomes visible after annealing.The T6 sample annealing at 430℃for 4 h and ageing at 200℃for 34 h exhibits the superior strength and ductility in this study.The ultimate tensile strength,tensile yield strength and elongation to failure,which is 455 MPa,308 MPa and 7.7%,respectively,are overall improved compared with the directly-aged(T5)sample.This paper provides a superior heat treatment schedule to manufacture high-performance large-scale Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr-Ag components for industrial production.

Relationship between microstructure and tensile properties on a near-β titanium alloy after multidirectional forging and heat treatment

In this study, a new near-beta titanium alloy, Ti- 4Al-1 Sn-2Zr-5Mo-8V-2.5Cr, was prepared by induction skull melting (ISM) and multidirectional forging. The effect of aging heat treat me rn on microstructure and ten sile properties of the alloy after solution treatment in the twophase (α+β) region was investigated. The microstructure results show that the globular primary ot phase (cxp) and the needle-like secondary y. phase (ots) are precipitated in the P matrix. The size of ots increases with the increase in aging temperature, while the con tent of ots goes up to a peak value and then decreases. The tensile testing results show that the strength increases first and then decreases with the in crease in temperature. The variation of ductility presents the opposite way compared with the trend of strength level. When aged at 500℃, the alloy exhibits an excellebalance of tensile strength (1529 MPa) and elongation (9.22%). And the relative mechanism of sirengthening and toughening was analyzed and discussed.

Tensile properties and microstructure of Ti14 alloy after semi-solid forging

Tensile properties of a new α＋Ti2Cu alloy after solid forging at 950 °C and semi-solid forging at 1 000 °C and 1 050 °C were investigated over the temperature range of 20-600 °C. The results reveal that high strength and low ductility are obtained in all semi-solid forged alloys. Tensile properties decrease as the semi-solid forging temperature increases, and cleavage fractures are observed after semi-solid forging at 1 050 °C. The variations in tensile properties are attributed to the coarse microstructures obtained in the semi-solid alloys. It is found that the elevated semi-solid temperatures lead to more liquid precipitates along the prior grain boundaries, which increases the peritectic precipitation and formation of Ti2Cu precipitation zones during re-solidification. Recrystallization heat treatment leads to fine microstructure of semi-solid forged alloys, resulting in improvement of tensile properties.

Heat treatment optimization for tensile properties of 8011 Al/15% SiCp metal matrix composite using response surface methodology

In this study,a mathematical model was developed to optimize the heat treatment process for maximum tensile strength and ductility of aluminum(8011) silicon carbide particulate composites.The process parameters are solutionizing time,aging temperature,and aging time.The experiments were performed on an universal testing machine according to centre rotatable design matrix.A mathematical model was developed with the main and interactive effects of the parameters considered.The analysis of variance technique was used to check the adequacy of the developed model.The optimum parameters were obtained for maximum tensile strength.Fractographic examination shows the cracks and dimples on the fractured surfaces of heat-treated specimen.

EFFECTS OF TWO－STEP HEAT－TREATMENT ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF TiAl INTERMETALLICS

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Effects of magnesium and copper additions on tensile properties of Al-Si-Cr die casting alloy under as-cast and T5 conditions

Aluminum high pressure die casting(HPDC)technology has evolved in the past decades,enabling stronger and larger one-piece casting with significant part consolidation.It also offers a higher design freedom for more mass-efficient thin-walled body structures.For body structures that require excellent ductility and fracture toughness to be joined with steel sheet via self-piercing riveting(for instance,shock towers and hinge pillars,etc.),a costly T7 heat treatment comprising a solution heat treatment at elevated temperatures(450℃-500℃)followed by an over-ageing heat treatment is needed to optimize microstructure for meeting product requirement.To enable cost-efficient mass production of HPDC body structures,it is important to eliminate the expensive T7 heat treatment without sacrificing mechanical properties.Optimizing die cast alloy chemistry is a potential solution to improve fracture toughness and ductility of the HPDC components.The present study intends to tailor the Mg and Cu additions for a new Al-Si-Cr type die casting alloy(registered as A379 with The Aluminum Association,USA)to achieve the desired tensile properties without using T7 heat treatment.It was found that Cu addition should be avoided,as it is not effective in enhancing strength while degrades tensile ductility.Mg addition is very effective in improving strength and has minor impact on tensile ductility.The investigated Al-Si-Cr alloy with a nominal composition of Al-8.5wt.%Si-0.3wt.%Cr-0.2wt.%Fe shows comparable tensile properties with the T7 treated AlSi10MnMg alloy which is currently used for manufacturing shock towers and hinge pillars.

Effect of heat treatment and thermomechanical processing on microstructure and tensile property of Ti-44Al-8Nb-0.2W-0.2B-0.5Y alloy

High Nb-TiAl (Ti-44Al-8Nb-0.2W-0.2B-0.5Y,at.%) ingot was fabricated by vacuum arc remelting (VAR).The as-cast ingot was hot-isostatic pressed (HIP) and homogenizing annealing processed.The influence of heat treatment temperature and thermomechanical processing on the microstructure and tensile property of the alloy was investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile tests.It was found that the high Nb-TiAl alloy after HIP and annealing was mainly composed of coarse α2/γ lamellae,β/B2 phase and γ phase and the solidification path of this alloy was:L→L+β→β→α+β→α→α+β+γ→α2+β+γ.The water quenching results showed that the alloy was in α single phase region at 1,340 °C.After heating at 1,340 °C for 30 min followed by furnace cooling,the alloy showed a full lamellar microstructure and its ultimate tensile strength was about 538 MPa,with an elongation of 0.3% at room temperature.Free-crack forged pancakes with fine-grained fully lamellar structure (FFLS) were obtained with an initial deformation temperature of 1,340 °C and the ultimate tensile strength of forged alloy was about 820 MPa,with an elongation of 0.9% at room temperature,which was much higher than that of alloy after HIP and annealing because of microstructural refinement.

Effect of friction stir processed microstructure on tensile properties of an Al-Zn-Mg-Sc alloy upon subsequent aging heat treatment

An as-cast Al-Zn-Mg-Sc alloy was friction stir processed varying tool related parameters, yielding microstructures with different grain sizes （0.68, 1.8 and 5.5 μm）. Significant increases in room temperature ductility were obtained in these materials with reasonable enhancement in strength. It is demonstrated that the type of microstructure produced by friction stir processing （FSP） has a significant influence on the choice of post-FSP heat treatment design for achieving improved tensile properties. It is also found that the ultrafine grained FSP material could not achieve the desired high strength during the post-FSP heat treatment without grain coarsening, whereas the micro-grained FSP materials could reach such strength levels （〉560 MPa） under conventional age hardening heat treatment conditions.

Effects of heat treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of a new type of nitrogen-containing die steel

Nitrogen can increase the strength of steels without weakening the toughness and improve the corrosion resistance at the same time. Compared with conventional nitrogen-free die steels, a new type of nitrogen-containing die steel was developed with many superior properties, such as high strength, high hardness, and good toughness. This paper focused on the effects of heat treatment on the microstruc- tures and mechanical properties of the new type of nitrogen-containing die steel, which were investigated by the optimized deformation process and heat treatment. Isothermal spheroidal annealing and high-temperature quenching as well as high-temperature tempering were ap- plied in the experiment by means of an orthogonal method after the steel was multiply forged. The mechanical properties of nitro- gen-containing die steel forgings are better than the standard of NADCA #207-2003.

INVESTIGATION OF MULTI-STEP THERMO-MECHANICALTREATMENT OF CAN-FORGED TiAl-BASED ALLOY

The effects of a new technology, multi-step thermo-mechanical treatment, on the microstructure, deformation substructure and mechanical properties at ambient and elevated tempemture of can-forged Ti-33 Al-3 Cr-0.5Mo (wt%) Alloy were investigated.The results show that, after multi-step thermo-mechanical treatment of can-forged specimens, homogeneous, fine microstructures can be obtained in the whole TiAl-based alloy specimens. Furthermore, the specimen with homogeneous and fine full lamellae microstructure demonstrutes excellent comprehensive mechanical properties at ambient and elevated temperature.

Effects of Zr additions on structure and tensile properties of an Al-4.5Cu-0.3Mg-0.05Ti(wt.%) alloy

The effects of different Zr additions(0.05wt.%-0.5wt.%)on the structure and tensile properties of an Al-4.5Cu-0.3Mg-0.05Ti(wt.%)alloy solidified under a high cooling rate(18℃·s^(-1)),in as-cast and T6 heat-treated conditions were studied.The as-cast structure of the alloy consists of equiaxed grains ofα-Al with an average size of 64μm which is unaffected by the Zr additions,indicating the ineffectiveness of Zr in the grain refinement of the alloy.Scanning electron microscopy,along with X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of elongatedθ-Al2Cu at the grain boundaries;in addition,coarse Al3Zr particles exist in the intergranular regions of the 0.5wt.%Zr-containing alloy.After the T6 heat treatment,the elongatedθparticles were fragmented;however,the coarse Al3Zr particles remained unchanged in the microstructure.Also,the formation of fineβ’-Al3Zr andθ’’-Al3Cu/θ’-Al2Cu phases during T6 heat treatment was revealed by transmission electron microscopy.The results of the tensile tests showed that the Zr additions increase the strength of the alloy in both as-cast and T6 heat-treated conditions,but reduce its elongation,especially with 0.5wt.%Zr addition.The 0.3wt.%Zr-added alloy in the T6 heat-treated condition has the highest quality index value(249 MPa).Fractography of the fracture surfaces of the alloys revealed ductile fracture mode including dimples and cracked intermetallic phases in both conditions.