Influence of surface layer slurry temperature on surface cracks and holes of ZTC4 titanium alloy by investment casting

In this work,the influences of surface layer slurry at different temperatures(10℃,14℃,18℃,22℃)on wax patterns deformation,shrinkage,slurry coating characteristics,and the surface quality of the casting were investigated by using a single factor variable method.The surface morphologies of the shell molds produced by different temperatures of the surface(first)layer slurries were observed via electron microscopy.Furthermore,the microscopic composition of these shell molds was obtained by EDS,and the osmotic effect of the slurry on the wax patterns at different temperatures was also assessed by the PZ-200 Contact Angle detector.The forming reasons for the surface cracks and holes of thick and large ZTC4 titanium alloy by investment casting were analyzed.The experimental results show that the surface of the shell molds prepared by the surface layer slurry with a low temperature exhibits noticeable damage,which is mainly due to the poor coating performance and the serious expansion and contraction of wax pattern at low temperatures.The second layer shell material(SiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3))immerses into the crack area of the surface layer,contacts and reacts with the molten titanium to form surface cracks and holes in the castings.With the increase of the temperature of surface layer slurry,the damage to the shell surface tends to weaken,and the composition of the shell molds'surface becomes more uniform with less impurities.The results show that the surface layer slurry at 22℃is evenly coated on the surface of the wax patterns with appropriate thickness,and there is no surface shell mold rupture caused by sliding slurry after sand leaching.The surface layer slurry temperature is consistent with the wax pattern temperature and the workshop temperature,so there is no damage of the surface layer shell caused by expansion and contraction.Therefore,the shell mold prepared by the surface layer slurry at this temperature has good integrity,isolating the contact between the low inert shell material and the titanium liquid effectively,and the ZTC4 titanium alloy cylinder casting prepared by this shell mold is smooth,without cracks and holes.

Creep Behavior of Fusion Zone and Base Metal of the Electron Beam Weldments of a Near-alpha Titanium Alloy

The high temperature creep behavior of fusion zone （FZ） and of a near-alpha titanium alloy Ti-60 has been investigated. base metal （BM） of the electron beam weldments While the BM shows a fully transformed, coarse primary β grains with large colonies consisting of aligned α lamellar, the FZ exhibits thin martensitic α′ platelets in the columnar β grains. The creep results show that the steady state creep rates of FZ follow the power-law creep, with the stress exponents obtained in the range from 5.6 （550℃） to 5.9 （600℃）, and corrected activation energies of 309-352 kJ/mol; the stress exponents of BM exhibit different values when the creep testing stress and temperature alternate. The values of 2.4-3.2 are obtained when the stresses are under 220 MPa or the temperature is 550℃, also an exponent of 6.6 is achieved at stresses above 220 MPa at 600℃. The corrected activation energies of BM corresponding to the stress exponents are 123-161 kJ/mol （n=2.4-3.2） and 344 kJ/mol （n=6.6）. The creep mechanisms of FZ and BM have been discussed in light of the creep microstructures, activation energies and the stress exponents. The creep mechanisms of FZ is the diffusion controlled dislocation climb, the creep of BM is controlled by ＇solute drag＇ creep and dislocation climb when the stress and temperature are different. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） observations of the dislocation structures of crept specimens are presented to give some supports for the creep behavior of FZ and BM. In addition to the creep mechanism of dislocation movement, the interface sliding has been found to play an important role during creep of FZ.

Recent innovations in laser additive manufacturing of titanium alloys

Titanium(Ti)alloys are widely used in high-tech fields like aerospace and biomedical engineering.Laser additive manufacturing(LAM),as an innovative technology,is the key driver for the development of Ti alloys.Despite the significant advancements in LAM of Ti alloys,there remain challenges that need further research and development efforts.To recap the potential of LAM high-performance Ti alloy,this article systematically reviews LAM Ti alloys with up-to-date information on process,materials,and properties.Several feasible solutions to advance LAM Ti alloys are reviewed,including intelligent process parameters optimization,LAM process innovation with auxiliary fields and novel Ti alloys customization for LAM.The auxiliary energy fields(e.g.thermal,acoustic,mechanical deformation and magnetic fields)can affect the melt pool dynamics and solidification behaviour during LAM of Ti alloys,altering microstructures and mechanical performances.Different kinds of novel Ti alloys customized for LAM,like peritecticα-Ti,eutectoid(α+β)-Ti,hybrid(α+β)-Ti,isomorphousβ-Ti and eutecticβ-Ti alloys are reviewed in detail.Furthermore,machine learning in accelerating the LAM process optimization and new materials development is also outlooked.This review summarizes the material properties and performance envelops and benchmarks the research achievements in LAM of Ti alloys.In addition,the perspectives and further trends in LAM of Ti alloys are also highlighted.

Phase transformation in titanium alloys:A review

Due to a series of exceptional properties,titanium and titanium alloys have received extensive attention in recent years.Different from other alloy systems,there are two allotropes and a sequence of metastable phases in titanium alloys.By summarizing the recent investigations,the phase transformation processes corresponding to the common phases and also some less reported phases are reviewed.For the phase transformation only involvingαandβphases,it can be divided intoβ→αtransformation and a reverse transformation.The former one has been demonstrated from the orientation relationship betweenαandβphases and the regulation ofαmorphology.For the latter transformation,the role of the stress has been discussed.In terms of the metastable phases,the mechanisms of phase formation and their effects on microstructure and mechanical properties have been discussed.Finally,some suggestions about the development of titanium alloys have been proposed.

A new rhombohedral phase and its 48 variants inβtitanium alloy

A new rhombohedral phase(termed R′)in a solution-aging-treated titanium alloy(Ti-4.5Al-6.5Mo-2Cr-2Nb-1V-1Sn-1Zr,wt.%)was identified.Its accurate Bravais lattice parameters were determined by a novel unit cell reconstruction method based on conventional selected-area electron diffraction(SAED)technique.The orientation relationship between R'phase and BCC phase was revealed.The results show that the R′phase is found to have 48crystallographically equivalent variants,resulting in rather complicated SAED patterns with high-order reflections.A series of in-situ SAED patterns were taken along both low-and high-index zone axes,and all weak and strong reflections arising from the 48 variants were properly explained and directly assigned with self-consistent Miller indices,confirming the presence of the rhombohedral phase.Additionally,some criteria were also proposed for evaluating the indexed results,which together with the Bravais lattice reconstruction method shed light on the microstructure characterization of even unknown phases in other alloys.

Microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism of high -performance powder metallurgy TA15 titanium alloy by hot rolling

Hot deformation of sintered billets by powder metallurgy(PM)is an effective preparation technique for titanium alloys,which is more significant for high-alloying alloys.In this study,Ti–6.5Al–2Zr–Mo–V(TA15)titanium alloy plates were prepared by cold press-ing sintering combined with high-temperature hot rolling.The microstructure and mechanical properties under different process paramet-ers were investigated.Optical microscope,electron backscatter diffraction,and others were applied to characterize the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties strengthening mechanism.The results showed that the chemical compositions were uniformly dif-fused without segregation during sintering,and the closing of the matrix craters was accelerated by increasing the sintering temperature.The block was hot rolled at 1200℃ with an 80%reduction under only two passes without annealing.The strength and elongation of the plate at 20–25℃ after solution and aging were 1247 MPa and 14.0%,respectively,which were increased by 24.5%and 40.0%,respect-ively,compared with the as-sintered alloy at 1300℃.The microstructure was significantly refined by continuous dynamic recrystalliza-tion,which was completed by the rotation and dislocation absorption of the substructure surrounded by low-angle grain boundaries.After hot rolling combined with heat treatment,the strength and plasticity of PM-TA15 were significantly improved,which resulted from the dense,uniform,and fine recrystallization structure and the synergistic effect of multiple slip systems.

Comparison of electrochemical behaviors of Ti-5Al-2Sn-4Zr-4Mo-2Cr-1Fe and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloys in NaNO_(3) solution

The Ti-5Al-2Sn-4Zr-4Mo-2Cr-1Fe(β-CEZ)alloy is considered as a potential structural material in the aviation industry due to its outstanding strength and corrosion resistance.Electrochemical machining(ECM)is an efficient and low-cost technology for manufacturing theβ-CEZ alloy.In ECM,the machining parameter selection and tool design are based on the electrochemical dissolution behavior of the materials.In this study,the electrochemical dissolution behaviors of theβ-CEZ and Ti-6Al-4V(TC4)alloys in NaNO3solution are discussed.The open circuit potential(OCP),Tafel polarization,potentiodynamic polarization,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),and current efficiency curves of theβ-CEZ and TC4 alloys are analyzed.The results show that,compared to the TC4 alloy,the passivation film structure is denser and the charge transfer resistance in the dissolution process is greater for theβ-CEZ alloy.Moreover,the dissolved surface morphology of the two titanium-based alloys under different current densities are analyzed.Under low current densities,theβ-CEZ alloy surface comprises dissolution pits and dissolved products,while the TC4 alloy surface comprises a porous honeycomb structure.Under high current densities,the surface waviness of both the alloys improves and the TC4 alloy surface is flatter and smoother than theβ-CEZ alloy surface.Finally,the electrochemical dissolution models ofβ-CEZ and TC4 alloys are proposed.

Preparation and Properties of Cu-Containing High-entropy Alloy Nitride Films by Magnetron Sputtering on Titanium Alloy

Magnetron sputtering deposition with regulated Cu target power was used for depositing Cu-containing high-entropy alloy nitride(Cu-(HEA)N)films on TC4 titanium alloy substrates.The microscopic morphologies,surface compositions,and thicknesses of the films were characterized using SEM+EDS;the anti-corrosion,wear resistance and antibacterial properties of the films in simulated seawater were investigated.The experimental results show that all four Cu-(HEA)N films are uniformly dense and contained nanoparticles.The film with Cu doping come into contact with oxygen in the air to form cuprous oxide.The corrosion resistance of the(HEA)N film without Cu doping on titanium alloy is better than the films with Cu doping.The Cu-(HEA)N film with Cu target power of 16 W shows the best wear resistance and antibacterial performance,which is attributed to the fact that Cu can reduce the coefficient of friction and exacerbate corrosion,and the formation of cuprous oxide has antibacterial properties.The findings of this study provide insights for engineering applications of TC4 in the marine field.

Tribological Behaviors of Electroless Nickel-Boron Coating on Titanium Alloy Surface

Titanium alloys are excellent structural materials in engineering fields,but their poor tribological properties limit their further applications.Electroless plating is an effective method to enhance the tribological performance of alloys,but it is difficult to efficiently apply to titanium alloys,due to titanium alloy’s strong chemical activity.In this work,the electroless Nickel-Boron(Ni-B)coating was successfully deposited on the surface of titanium alloy(Ti-6AL-4V)via a new pre-treatment process.Then,linearly reciprocating sliding wear tests were performed to evaluate the tribological behaviors of titanium alloy and its electroless Ni-B coatings.It was found that the Ni-B coatings can decrease the wear rate of the titanium alloy from 19.89×10^(−3)mm^(3)to 0.41×10^(−3)mm^(3),which attributes to the much higher hardness of Ni-B coatings.After heat treatment,the hardness of Ni-B coating further increases corresponding to coating crystallization and hard phase formation.However,heat treatment does not improve the tribological performance of Ni-B coating,due to the fact that higher brittleness and more severe oxidative wear exacerbate the damage of heat-treated coatings.Furthermore,the Ni-B coatings heat-treated both in air and nitrogen almost present the same tribological performance.The finding of this work on electroless coating would further extend the practical applications of titanium alloys in the engineering fields.

A review on advances of high-throughput experimental technology for titanium alloys

Ti alloys,as leading lightweight and high-strength metallic materials,exhibit significant application potential in aerospace,marine engineering,biomedical,and other industries.However,the lack of fundamental understanding of the microstructure−property relationship results in prolonged research and development(R&D)cycles,hindering the optimization of the performance of Ti alloys.Recently,the advent of high-throughput experimental(HTE)technology has shown promise in facilitating the efficient and demand-driven development of next-generation Ti alloys.This work reviews the latest advancements in HTE technology for Ti alloys.The high-throughput preparation(HTP)techniques commonly used in the fabrication of Ti alloys are addressed,including diffusion multiple,additive manufacturing(AM),vapor deposition and others.The current applications of high-throughput characterization(HTC)techniques in Ti alloys are shown.Finally,the research achievements in HTE technology for Ti alloys are summarized and the challenges faced in their industrial application are discussed.

Hot Deformation Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb Titanium Alloy

Characterization of hot deformation behavior of Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb titanium alloy was investigated through isothermal compression at various temperatures from 750 to 1050℃and strain rate from 0.01 to 10 s^(-1).The isothermal compression experiment results showed that the peak stress of Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb titanium alloy decreased with the temperature increasing and the strain rate decreasing.The softening mechanism was dynamic recovery below T_(β)and changed to dynamic recrystallization above T_(β).The arrheniustype relationship was used to calculate the constitutive equation of Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb alloy in two-phase regions.It was found that the apparent activation energies were 427.095 kJ·mol^(-1)in theα+βphase region and 205.451 kJ·mol^(-1)in theβphase region,respectively.On the basis of dynamic materials model,the processing map is generated,which shows that the highest peak efficiency of power dissipation of 56%occurs at about 1050℃/0.01 s^(-1).It can be found in the processing maps that the strain had significant effect on the peak region of power dissipation efficiency of Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb alloy.Furthermore,optimized hot working regions were investigated and validated through microstructure observation.The optimum thermo mechanical process condition for hot working of Ti-6Al-4V-0.5Ni-0.5Nb titanium alloy was suggested to be in the temperature range of 950-1000℃with a strain rate of 0.01-0.1 s^(-1).

Enhancing the Robustness of Rib-Groove Filling and Strain Homogeneity in the Isothermal Forging of Titanium Alloy Multi-Rib Components

Isothermal forging stands as an effective technology for the production of large-scale titanium alloy multi-rib components.However,challenges have persisted,including die underfilling and strain concentration due to the complex material flow and heterogeneous deformation within the forging die cavity.While approaches centered on optimized billet designs have mitigated these challenges,uncertainties in process parameters continue to introduce unacceptable variations in forming accuracy and stability.To tackle this issue,this study introduced a multi-objective robust optimization approach for billet design,accounting for the multi-rib eigenstructure and potential uncertainties.The approach includes finite element(FE)modeling for analyzing the die-filling and strain inhomogeneity within the multi-rib eigenstructure.Furthermore,it integrated image acquisition perception and feed back technologies(IAPF)for real-time monitoring of material flow and filling sequences within die rib-grooves,validating the accuracy of the FE modeling.By incorporating dimensional parameters of the billet and uncertainty factors,including friction,draft angle,forming temperature,speed,and deviations in billet and die,quantitative analyses on the rib-groove filling and strain inhomogeneity with fluctuation were conducted.Subsequently,a dual-response surface model was developed for statistical analysis of the cavity filling and strain homogeneity.Finally,the robust optimization was processed using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II(NSGA-II)and validated using the IAPF technologies.The proposed approach enables robust design enhancements for rib-groove filling and strain homogeneity in titanium alloy multi-rib components.

Contour Detection Algorithm forαPhase Structure of TB6 Titanium Alloy fused with Multi-Scale Fretting Features

Aiming at the problems of inaccuracy in detecting theαphase contour of TB6 titanium alloy.By combining computer vision technology with human vision mechanisms,the spatial characteristics of theαphase can be simulated to obtain the contour accurately.Therefore,an algorithm forαphase contour detection of TB6 titanium alloy fused with multi-scale fretting features is proposed.Firstly,through the response of the classical receptive field model based on fretting and the suppression of new non-classical receptive field model based on fretting,the information maps of theαphase contour of the TB6 titanium alloy at different scales are obtained;then the information map of the smallest scale contour is used as a benchmark,the neighborhood is constructed to judge the deviation of other scale contour information,and the corresponding weight value is calculated;finally,Gaussian function is used to weight and fuse the deviation information,and the contour detection result of TB6 titanium alloyαphase is obtained.In the Visual Studio 2013 environment,484 metallographic images with different temperatures,strain rates,and magnifications were tested.The results show that the performance evaluation F value of the proposed algorithm is 0.915,which can effectively improve the accuracy ofαphase contour detection of TB6 titanium alloy.

Role of processing parameters on relative density,microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted titanium alloy

The relationships between the selective laser melting(SLM)processing parameters including laser power,scanning speed and hatch space,the relative density,the microstructure,and resulting mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy were investigated in this work.The result shows that laser power acts a dominant role in determining the relative density in comparison with scanning speed and hatch space.The optimal SLM process window for fabricating relative density>99%samples is located in the energy density range of 34.72 J·mm^(-3)to 52.08 J·mm^(-3),where the laser power range is between 125 W and 175 W.An upward trend is found in the micro-hardness as the energy density is increased.The optimum SLM processing parameters of Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy are:laser power of 150 W,scanning speed of 1,600 mm·s^(-1),hatch space of 0.08 mm,and layer thickness of 0.03 mm.The highest ultimate tensile strength,yield strength,and ductility under the optimum processing parameter are achieved,which are 1,205 MPa,1,099 MPa,and 8%,respectively.The results of this study can be used to guide SLM production Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy parts.

A novel solution treatment and aging for powder bed fusion-laser beam Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo alloy:Microstructural and mechanical characterization

Ti-6Al-4Zr-2Sn-6Mo alloy is one of the most recent titanium alloys processed using powder bed fusion-laser beam(PBF-LB)technology.This alloy has the potential to replace Ti-6Al-4V in automotive and aerospace applications,given its superior mechanical properties,which are approximately 10%higher in terms of ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength after appropriate heat treatment.In as-built conditions,the alloy is characterized by the presence of soft orthorhombicα″martensite,necessitating a postprocessing heat treatment to decompose this phase and enhance the mechanical properties of the alloy.Usually,PBFed Ti6246 components undergo an annealing process that transforms theα″martensite into anα-βlamellar microstructure.The primary objective of this research was to develop a solution treatment and aging(STA)heat treatment tailored to the unique microstructure produced by the additive manufacturing process to achieve an ultrafine bilamellar microstructure reinforced by precipitation hardening.This study investigated the effects of various solution temperatures in theα-βfield(ranging from 800 to 875℃),cooling media(air and water),and aging time to determine the optimal heat treatment parameters for achieving the desired bilamellar microstructure.For each heat treatment condition,differentα-βmicrostructures were found,varying in terms of theα/βratio and the size of the primaryα-phase lamellae.Particular attention was given to how these factors were influenced by increases in solution temperature and how microhardness correlated with the percentage of the metastableβphase present after quenching.Tensile tests were performed on samples subjected to the most promising heat treatment parameters.A comparison with literature data revealed that the optimized STA treatment enhanced hardness and UTS by13%and 23%,respectively,compared with those of the annealed alloy.Fracture surface analyses were conducted to investigate fracture mechanisms.

Fatigue response,fracture characteristic and life modeling of a near-alpha titanium alloy under typical cyclic loadings in service

Experimental investigations on the fatigue behavior of a near-alpha titanium alloy under typical cyclic loadings were carried out to simulate the service loading states applied on the engine blades.The axial stress-controlled tension–tension low-cycle fatigue（LCF） tests were carried out over a range of maximum stresses and stress ratios.The rotary bending tests were conducted using a step-loading procedure to reveal the high-cycle fatigue（HCF） limit stresses.The cyclic softening effect is observed in this material,and the strain ratcheting occurs obviously at the maximum LCF loading of 900 MPa.The LCF resistance is found to be dependent on both the maximum loading and the stress ratio.The HCF limit stresses for 1 9 107 and 1 9 106 cycles are determined as405.7 and 457.6 MPa,respectively.The macroscopic fatigue fracture mode and the failure features on fracture surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscope（SEM）.

Dynamic globularization kinetics during hot working of TA15 titanium alloy with colony microstructure

The dynamic globularization kinetics of TA15（Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V） titanium alloy with a colony α microstructure during deformation at temperature range of 860-940 ℃ and strain rate range of 0.01-10 s-1 was quantitatively studied through isothermal compression tests.It is found that the dynamic globularization kinetics and the kinetics rate of TA15 are sensitive to deformation parameters.The dynamic globularized fraction increases with increasing strain,temperature but decreasing strain rate.The variation of globularized fraction with strain approximately follows an Avrami type equation.Using the Avrami type equation,the initiation and completion strains for dynamic globularization of TA15 were predicted to be 0.34-0.59 and 3.40-6.80.The kinetics rate of dynamic globularization increases with strain at first,then decreases.The peak value of kinetics rate,which corresponds to 20%-33% globularization fraction,increases with increasing temperature and decreasing strain rate.

Design of new biomedical titanium alloy based on d-electron alloy design theory and JMatPro software

A new kind offl biomedical titanium alloy, Ti-35Nb-4Sn-6Mo-9Zr, composed of non-toxic elements Nb, Mo, Zr and Sn with lower elastic modulus and higher strength was designed based on d-electron alloy design theory and JMatPro software using orthogonal experiment. The microstructure and basic mechanical properties of designed alloy were investigated. The results show that the alloy is composed of single fl equiaxed grains after solution treatment at 800 ~C. Compared with Ti-6A1-4V, the mechanical properties of the designed alloy are more excellent： E=65 GPa, σb=834 MPa, σ0.2=802 MPa, and σ=11%, which is expected to become a promising new type implanted material. The research approach adopted can reduce the experimental time and cost effectively, and get the ideal experimental results.

Influence of high-speed milling parameter on 3D surface topography and fatigue behavior of TB6 titanium alloy

High-speed milling of titanium alloys is widely used in aviation and aerospace industries for its high efficiency and good quality.In order to optimize the machining parameters in high-speed milling TB6 titanium alloy,experiments of high-speed milling and fatigue were conducted to investigate the effect of parameters on 3D surface topography and fatigue life.Based on the fatigue fracture,the effect mechanism of surface topography on the fatigue crack initiation was proposed.The experiment results show that when the milling speed ranged from 100 m/min to 140 m/min,and the feed per tooth ranged from 0.02 mm/z to 0.06 mm/z,the obtained surface roughness were within the limit（0.8 μm）.Fatigue life decreased sharply with the increase of surface equivalent stress concentration factor.The average error of fatigue life between the established model and the experimental results was 6.25%.The fatigue cracks nucleated at the intersection edge of machined surface.

Effects of nitrogen flux on microstructure and tribological properties of in-situ TiN coatings deposited on TC11 titanium alloy by electrospark deposition

In order to improve the tribological properties of titanium alloys,the in-situ TiN coatings were prepared by electrospark deposition（ESD） on the surface of TC11 titanium alloy.The effects of nitrogen flux on the microstructure and tribological properties of TiN coatings were investigated.The results show that the coating is relative thin when the nitrogen flux is small and mainly consists of Ti2N,α-Ti,Ti O and TiN phases,and the metastable phase of Ti2N is developed due to the rapid solidification of ESD.While in excessive nitrogen flux condition,many micro-cracks and holes might be generated in the coating.In moderate nitrogen flux,the coating is mainly composed of TiN phase,and is dense and uniform（50-55 μm）.The average hardness is HV0.2 1165.2,which is 3.4 times that of the TC11 substrate.The TiN coatings prepared in moderate nitrogen flux perform the best wear resistance.The wear loss of the coating is 0.4 mg,which is 2/9 that of the TC11 substrate.The main wear mechanisms of the coatings are micro-cutting wear accompanied by multi-plastic deformation wear.