MICROSTRUCTURAL STABILITY OF LAMELLAR TiAl BASED ALLOYS AT HIGH TEMPERATURES

The microstructural stability of lamellar TiAl base alloys at high temperatures was studied by conventional and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The influence of substructures on the thermal stability of lamellar structure was emphasized. These substructures produced by thermal mechanical treatments include the interfacial dislocations and ledges, the subgrain boundaries, the impinged T(Q) twins and misorientated lamellar interfaces. The microstructural change of three kinds of lamellar TiAl base alloys containing differents type and densities of substructures were compared during exposure at 800~1 000 ℃. It was found that the existence of such substructures could accelerate the degeneration of lamellar structure, leading to the rapid necking and break up of α 2 plates, the coarsening of γ plates, and the formation of new γ grains. As a result, the lamellar structure with substructures started to degenerate after thermal exposure at 800℃ for 4.5 h. While only slight coarsening was observed at the colony boundaries in the lamellar structure without substructures even after exposure at 900 ℃ for 7 d.

EFFECTS OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS ON CREEP OF TiAl ALLOYS WITH FINELAMELLAR STRUCTURES

Creep experiments have been conducted on five powder metallurgy TiAl alloys with fine grains (65～80 μm), fine lamellar spacings (0.1～0.16 μm), and different compositions [Ti 47Al(+Cr, Nb, Ta, W, Si)] at temperatures of 760 ℃ and 815 ℃ and stresses from 35 to 723 MPa. Results show that at a given lamellar spacing 1% Nb(mole fraction) with 1% Ta and replacing 0.2% Ta with 0.2% W induced little effect, but addition of 0.3% Si decreased the creep resistance by a factor of 3～4 under otherwise identical conditions. These different effects of different alloying elements are interpreted in terms of the interaction of alloy segregants with misfit and/or misorientaion dislocations at the lamellar interface. That is, the interaction retards or facilitates the climb of interfacial dislocations, which is rate controlling during creep, depending on the size of the segregants relative to the host atoms.

INFLUENCE OF TWINNING AND DISLOCATION GLIDE DURING CREEP OF EQUIAXED AND LAMELLAR TiAl ALLOYS

The creep deformation of two near γ titanium aluminide alloys with equiaxed and lamellar structures have been studied to understand their behaviour as a function of microstructural evolution during the early stages of creep. The lamellar alloys exhibit more pronounced hardening during the primary stage of creep leading to a much better creep resistance and a minimum creep rate two orders of magnitude lower than that of the equiaxed alloys. TEM observations have confirmed that the active deformation mechanisms are the same for both alloys and microstructural states, namely extensive slip of single 1/2〈110〉 dislocations and mechanical twinning. The latter has been comfirmed to occur in a fraction of the grains that never exceeds 50% while 1/2〈110〉 dislocations are active within all the γ grains. The twins are only responsible for a small amount of strain but they lead to a subdivision of the microstructure and determine (directly or indirectly) the hardening process observed during the primary stage of creep. During the secondary stage the creep rate is determined by the unblocking of pinned dislocations by processes such as a pipe diffusion or cross slip that allow thermally activated glide of 1/2〈110〉 dislocations within the γ matrix.

Effect of Lamellar Orientation on Crack Paths in PST Crystals of γ-TiAl BasedAlloys

The effect of lamellar orientation on crack paths in PST crystals of y-TiAl based alloys was investigated by in-situ SEM technique. The results indicate that the crack paths in PST crystals of y-TiAl based alloys are strongly dependent on lamellar orientation ofPST crystals, and the differently oriented PST crystals show different nucleation and propagation mechanisms of crack, resulting in different levels of fracture toughness.

Kink-band formation in directionally solidified Mg/Mg_(2)Yb and Mg/Mg_(2)Ca eutectic alloys with Mg/Laves-phase lamellar microstructure

For the development of high-strength Mg alloys,active use of Laves phases such as C14-type Mg_(2)Yb and Mg_(2)Ca is strongly expected.However,the brittleness of the Laves phases is the biggest obstacle to it.We first found that kink-band formation can be induced in directionally solidified Mg/Mg_(2)Yb and Mg/Mg_(2)Ca eutectic lamellar alloys when a stress is applied parallel to the lamellar interface,leading to a high yield stress accompanied with ductility.That is,microstructural control can induce a new deformation mode that is not activated in the constituent phases,thereby inducing ductility.It was clarified that the geometric relationship between the operative slip plane in the constituent phases and the lamellar interface,and the microstructural features that provide kink-band nucleation sites are important factors for controlling kink-band formation.The obtained results show a possibility to open the new door for the development of novel high-strength structural material using the kink bands.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Two-phaseTiAl Alloys in Lamellar Form

In two-phase TiAl alloys, the lamellar structures are of special interest and importance since they are so common and persistent. not only under as-cast conditions but also after thermal treatment. However. the lamellar structures are still poor in ductility,although they are beneficial for toughness and high temperature strength. This article will review the recent progress made in understanding the basic mechanical properties of the γ and α2 phases which comprise the two-phase alloys in Iamellar form, and discuss how an improved balance of strength and ductillty in the lamellar form may be achieved

Numerical modeling of damping capacity of Zn-Al alloys with fully lamellar microstructures

The damping behaviors of Zn-Al alloys with fully lamellar microstructures were simulated with the cell method. The influences of the grain boundary condition, the strain amplitude, the number of the lamellae in the grain (N) and the content ratio of Zn and Al in Zn-Al alloys on the damping capacity were investigated. The results indicate that the grain boundary condition has great influence on the damping capacity of Zn-Al alloys, and also affects the relationship between the damping capacity and the number of lamellae (N). The variation of damping capacity with the strain amplitude is increasing exponentially with the strain amplitude and the damping capacity increases with the increasing of content of Zn.

Dynamic spheroidization kinetics behavior of Ti-6.5Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy with lamellar microstructure

Abstract： The dynamic spheroidization kinetics behavior of Ti-6.5Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy with a lamellar initial microstructure was studied by isothermal hot compression tests in the temperature range of 750-950℃ and strain rates of 0.001-10 s^-1. The results show that the spheroidized fraction of alpha lamellae increases with the increase of temperature and the decrease of strain rate. The spheroidization kinetics curves predicted by JMAK equation agree well with experimental ones. The corresponding SEM and TEM observations indicate that the dynamic spheroidization process can be divided into two stages. The primary stage is boundary splitting formed by two competing mechanisms which are dynamic recrystallization and mechanical twin. In the second stage, the penetration of beta phase into the alpha/alpha grain boundaries is dominant, which is controlled in nature by diffusion of the chemical elements such as Al, Mo and V.

High temperature deformation behavior and optimization of hot compression process parameters in TC11 titanium alloy with coarse lamellar original microstructure

The high temperature deformation behaviors of α＋β type titanium alloy TC11 （Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si） with coarse lamellar starting microstructure were investigated based on the hot compression tests in the temperature range of 950-1100 ℃ and the strain rate range of 0.001-10 s-1. The processing maps at different strains were then constructed based on the dynamic materials model, and the hot compression process parameters and deformation mechanism were optimized and analyzed, respectively. The results show that the processing maps exhibit two domains with a high efficiency of power dissipation and a flow instability domain with a less efficiency of power dissipation. The types of domains were characterized by convergence and divergence of the efficiency of power dissipation, respectively. The convergent domain in a＋fl phase field is at the temperature of 950-990 ℃ and the strain rate of 0.001-0.01 s^-1, which correspond to a better hot compression process window of α＋β phase field. The peak of efficiency of power dissipation in α＋β phase field is at 950 ℃ and 0.001 s 1, which correspond to the best hot compression process parameters of α＋β phase field. The convergent domain in β phase field is at the temperature of 1020-1080 ℃ and the strain rate of 0.001-0.1 s^-l, which correspond to a better hot compression process window of β phase field. The peak of efficiency of power dissipation in ℃ phase field occurs at 1050 ℃ over the strain rates from 0.001 s^-1 to 0.01 s^-1, which correspond to the best hot compression process parameters of ,8 phase field. The divergence domain occurs at the strain rates above 0.5 s^-1 and in all the tested temperature range, which correspond to flow instability that is manifested as flow localization and indicated by the flow softening phenomenon in stress-- strain curves. The deformation mechanisms of the optimized hot compression process windows in a＋β and β phase fields are identified to be spheroidizing and dynamic recrystallizing controlled by self-diffusion mechanism, respectively. The microstructure observation of the deformed specimens in different domains matches very well with the optimized results.

Evolution of lamellar structure in Ti-47Al-2Nb-2Cr-0.2W alloy sheet

The Ti-47Al-2Nb-2Cr-0.2W alloy sheets were obtained by hot pack rolling. The as-rolled sheet has an inhomogeneous duplex microstructure composed of elongated gamma grains and lamellar colonies. Heat treatments were conducted on the as-rolled sheets. The results show that the microstructures with different sizes and grain boundary morphologies were developed after different heat treatments. A coarse fully lamellar structure can be refined if the heating time, together with the cooling rate, is appropriately controlled. The grain growth exponent is found to be approximately 0.2, and the activation energy of grain boundary migration of the alloy is around 225 kJ/mol.

Lamellar orientation control in directionally solidified TiAl intermetallics

TiAl-based alloys are potentially used as high-temperature structural materials with a high specific strength in the range of^900°C.However,the mechanical properties of TiAl-based alloys are extremely anisotropic with respect to the lamellar orientation of the microstructures.A balance combination of room-temperature ductility and strength can be achieved when the lamellar orientation are aligned parallel to the tensile stress direction.Lamellar orientation control of TiAl-based alloys by directional solidification technique has been widely studied in recent years.Two different directional solidification processes can be used to modify the lamellar orientation.One is a seeding technique and the other is adjusting the solidification path.This paper reviews the principles of the two methods and their progress.The influence of alloy composition and solidification parameters on lamellar orientation control is also discussed.

Microstructure-fracture toughness relationships and toughening mechanism of TC21 titanium alloy with lamellar microstructure

The independent influence of microstructural features on fracture toughness of TC21alloy with lamellar microstructure was investigated.Triple heat treatments were designed to obtain lamellar microstructures with different parameters,which were characterized by OM and SEM.The size and content ofαplates were mainly determined by cooling rate from singleβphase field and solution temperature in two-phase field;while the precipitation behavior of secondaryαplatelets was dominantly controlled by aging temperature in two-phase field.The content and thickness ofαplates and the thickness of secondaryαplatelets were important microstructural features influencing the fracture toughness.Both increasing the content ofαplates and thickeningαplates(or secondaryαplatelets)could enhance the fracture toughness of TC21alloy.Based on energy consumption by the plastic zone of crack tip inαplates,a toughening mechanism for titanium alloys was proposed.

Influence of columnar grain boundary on fracture behavior of as-cast fully lamellar Ti-46Al-0.5W-0.5Si alloy

The fracture behavior of fully lamellar γ-TiAl alloys depends on the angle between the lamellar orientation and loading axis,but the role of the presentation of grain boundary cannot be ignored.To investigate the influence of the grain boundary on the initiation and propagation of cracks,the tensile test of the alloy was conducted at room temperature with loading axis parallel and perpendicular to the lamellar orientation,respectively.The cracks adjacent to the fracture zone of the tensile specimens have been investigated to analyze the fracture behavior.Results show that the grain boundary has dual influences on the fracture behavior.When the loading axis is parallel to the lamellar orientation,cracks are preferentially initiated at and propagate along the grain boundaries.When the loading axis is perpendicular to the lamellar orientation,the grain boundaries can prevent the propagation of cracks from running across.Additionally,serrated-shape grain boundaries have a better inhibiting effect on the propagation of cracks than planar boundaries.

High-temperature mechanical properties and deformation behavior of high Nb containing TiAl alloys fabricated by spark plasma sintering

A high Nb containing TiA1 alloy was prepared from the pre-alloyed powder of Ti-45Al-8.5Nb-0.2B-0.2W-0.02Y （at%） by spark plasma sintering （SPS）. Its high-temperature mechanical properties and compressive deformation behavior were investigated in a temperature range of 700 to 1050℃ and a strain rate range of 0.002 to 0.2 s 1. The results show that the high-temperature mechanical properties of the high Nb containing TiA1 alloy are sensitive to deformation temperature and strain rate, and the sensitivity to strain rate tends to rise with the deformation temperature increasing. The hot workability of the alloy is good at temperatures higher than 900℃, while fracture occurs at lower temperatures. The flow curves of the samples compressed at or above 900℃ exhibit obvious flow softening after the peak stress. Un- der the deformation condition of 900-1050℃ and 0.002-0.2 s 1, the interrelations of peak flow stress, strain rate, and deformation tempera- ture follow the Arrhenius＇ equation modified by a hyperbolic sine function with a stress exponent of 5.99 and an apparent activation energy of 441.2 kJ.mol-1.

STRENGTHENING MECHANISMSIN TiAl BASED ALLOYS

The influence of heat treatment and of thermomechanical processing on the structure and properties of a range of TiAl based alloys has been assessed and in agreement with other reports it has been found that increased refinement of the microstructure leads to improved mechanical strength at room temperature, both for the lamellar and the duplex structures. In the case of alloys cooled rapidly from the alpha phase field the increased refinement in lamellar spacing leads to significant increases in room temperature strength but thermomechanical processing can lead to far greater increases. The origin of this increase in strength in samples with a lamellar structure has been assessed in terms of the ability of dislocations to cross gamma/gamma and gamma/alpha 2 lamellar interfaces. It was concluded that the alpha 2 gamma interfaces and the alpha itself are important factors in strengthening the lamellar alloys. The stability of the various structures developed either by appropriate heat treatments or by thermomechanical processing has been investigated by exposing samples for a range of times at temperatures between 700 and 1 000 ℃. It has been found that the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength generally decreased by about 20% during high temperature exposure at 700 ℃ for 3 000 h. The detailed behaviour on exposure at 700 ℃ has been found to be a function of alloy composition, with complex precipitates being formed in some alloys, but in all cases the amount of alpha 2 decreased with increased heat treatment time. It has been found that during exposure the alpha 2 lamellae decomposed to gamma phase by a mechanism that can involve the formation of thin gamma lamellae within the original alpha 2 lamellae.

Influence of silicide on fracture behavior of a fully lamellar Ti-46Al-0.5W-0.5Si alloy

The fracture behavior of fully lamellar binary γ-TiAI alloys is extremely anisotropic with respect to the lamellar orientation. For the fully lamellar Ti-46Al-0.5W-0.5Si alloy, the existence of silicide clusters plays a critical role on the fracture behavior. In the present study, tensile test and three point bending test were performed at room temperature with the loading axis parallel and perpendicular to the lamellar orientation, respectively. To investigate the influence of silicide clusters on the initiation and propagation of cracks, the fracture surface and the cracks adjacent to the fracture zone of the specimens have been analyzed. Results show that the fracture process is related to the morphology and distribution of the silicide clusters. Crack preferentially initiates at and propagates along the interface of silicide and a2/7 lamellar with the loading axis perpendicular to the length direction of silicide. While the silicide can prevent the propagation of cracks from running across with the crack growth direction perpendicular to the length direction of silicide.

Dynamic globularization prediction during cogging process of large size TC11 titanium alloy billet with lamellar structure

The flow behavior and dynamic globularization of TC11 titanium alloy during subtransus deformation are investigated through hot compression tests. A constitutive model is established based on physical-based hardening model and phenomenological softening model. And based on the recrystallization mechanisms of globularization, the Avrami type kinetics model is established for prediction of globularization fraction and globularized grain size under large strain subtransus deformation of TC11 alloy. As the preliminary application of the previous results, the cogging process of large size TC11 alloy billet is simulated. Based on subroutine development of the DEFORM software, the coupled simulation of one fire cogging process is developed. It shows that the predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results in forging load and microstructure characteristic, which validates the reliability of the developed FEM subroutine models.

Subtransus deformation mechanisms of TC11 titanium alloy with lamellar structure

Isothermal compression tests are applied to study the deformation mechanisms of TCll titanium alloy with lamellar structure under the deformation temperature range of 890-995 ℃ and strain rate range of 0.01-10 s^-1. According to the flow stress data obtained by compression tests, the deformation activations are calculated based on kinetics analysis of high temperature deformation, which are then used for deformation mechanism analysis combined with microstructure investigation. The results show that deformation mechanisms vary with deformation conditions： at low strain rate range, the deformation mechanism is mainly dislocation slip; at low temperature and high strain rate range, twinning is the main mechanism; at high temperature and high strain rate range, the deformation is mainly controlled by diffusion offl phase.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of homogenizing treated fully lamellar Ti-46Al-0.5W-0.5Si alloy

The microstructure of as-cast Ti-46AI-0.5W-0.5Si alloy exhibits significant microinhomogenetity due to the non-equilibrium solidification and low atom diffusion rate. In order to reduce the adverse effect of this microsegregation on plasticity, the microstructure evolution of the Ti-46AI-0.5W-0.5Si alloy homogenized at different temperatures from 1,200 ℃ to 1,320 ℃was investigated, and the optimized process of homogenizing treatment, i.e., annealing treated at 1,280 ℃ and held for 8 h, was determined. Microstructures of both the as-cast and heat treated alloys were observed by means of optical microscope and scanning electron microscopes. Tensile tests at room temperature were conducted on the homogenizing treated fully lamellar Ti-46AI-0.5W-0.5Si alloy with loading axis parallel to the lamellar interface. Results show that, at higher heat treatment temperatures, the W element diffuses sufficiently, the microstructure tends to be more homogeneous, and the profile of the silicide clusters becomes smooth. Heat treating conducted in the a＋y two phase region can keep the columnar grains and the original lamellar orientation within them. The microstructure of the alloy after heat treated in a＋y two phase region exhibits the coexisting morphology of coarse lamellar and thin lamellar. The homogenization process at 1,280℃ for 8 h can significantly reduce the microsegregation, and the elongation at room temperature can increase from 0.48% （as-cast） to 1.34%.

Transformation mechanism of lamellar microstructure of AZ80 wrought Mg alloy during warm deformation

The microstructure especially the lamellar second phase evolution by a combination of deformation and heat treatment for AZ80 alloy was investigated.The results show that there are finer lamellar Mg_(17)Al_(12) phases after hot compression with the increasing strain,while there are coarse lamellar discontinuous precipitation cells ofβ-Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase spreading from the grain boundaries into the grains after T6 treatment of the compressed samples.The lamellar morphologies especially the lamellar distance ofβ-Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase precipitation of the T6 treated deformation specimen at different strains differ from each other as there are different grain boundaries in the corresponding compressed specimens.