Effects of microstructure on the short fatigue crack initiation and propagation characteristics of biomedical α/β titanium alloys

This article presents the results of a study of the effects of microstructure on the fatigue strength and the short fatigue crack initiation and propagation characteristics of a biomedical α/β titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-7Nb. The results are compared to those obtained from a Ti-6Al-4V extra-low interstitial (ELI) alloy. Fatigue crack initiation occurs mainly at primary α grain boundaries in an equiaxed α structure, whereas, in a Widmanst?tten α structure, initiation occurs within the α colonies and prior β grains, where α plates are inclined at around 45 deg to the stress-axis direction. In an equiaxed α structure, the short fatigue crack initiation and propagation life, where the length of the crack (a) is in a microstructurally short fatigue-crack regime (2a < 50 μm), occupies around 50 pct of the total fatigue life. On the other hand, the fatigue crack in a Widmanst?tten α structure initiates at very early stages of fatigue, and, therefore, the fatigue crack-initiation life occupies a few percentages of the total fatigue life in an α structure. Then, the short fatigue crack propagates rapidly and is arrested at the grain boundaries of α colonies or prior β grains for a relatively long period, until the short crack passes through the boundaries to specimen failure. Therefore, the short fatigue crack-arrest life occupies more than 90 pct of the total fatigue life in a Widmanst?tten α structure. These trends are similar between the Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloys and biomedical α/β titanium alloys. The total fatigue life for the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy with an equiaxed α structure is changed by the volume fraction of primary α phase and the cooling rate after solution treatment. By increasing the volume fraction of the primary α phase from 0 to 70 pct, the fatigue limit of the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy is raised. Changing the cooling rate after solution treatment by switching from air cooling to water quenching improves the fatigue limit of the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy significantly.     

The Development of the Low-Cost Titanium Alloy Containing Cr and Mn Alloying Elements

The α + β-type Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn alloy has been theoretically designed on the basis of assessment of the Ti-Al-Cr-Mn thermodynamic system and the relationship between the molybdenum equivalent and mechanical properties of titanium alloys. The alloy is successfully prepared by the split water-cooled copper crucible, and its microstructures and mechanical properties at room temperature are investigated using the OM, SEM, and the universal testing machine. The results show that the Ti-4.5Al-6.9Cr-2.3Mn alloy is an α + β-type alloy which is consistent with the expectation, and its fracture strength, yield strength, and elongation reach 1191.3, 928.4 MPa, and 10.7 pct, respectively. Although there is no strong segregation of alloying elements under the condition of as-cast, the segregation of Cr and Mn is obvious at the grain boundary after thermomechanical treatment.     

Effect of Post-weld Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Laser Beam Welded TiAl-based Alloy

Post-weld heat treatment is carried out on the laser beam welded γ-TiAl-based alloy Ti-48Al-1Cr-1.5Nb-1Mn-0.2Si-0.5B (at. pct). The macro/microstructure and mechanical properties of both as-welded and heat-treated specimens are investigated by radiography, SEM, and tensile tests. Moreover, high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction is performed to measure the residual stresses and evaluate the microstructure evolution. It is found that the residual stresses are distributed in a three-peak shape in the region of the weld zone and heat-affected zone of the as-welded specimen due to the microstructural transformation and heat softening. The residual stresses are largely relieved after the heat treatment. The heat-treated specimens have a near fully lamellar microstructure and show balanced mechanical properties of strength and ductility. The diffraction shows that the phase transformation from α ₂ to γ takes place under tensile load at 1023 K (750 °C), and the grain size and lamellar spacing are refined in the weld zone. Finally, the fracture mechanisms are found to be controlled by the local stress concentration-induced strain misfit between α ₂ and γ phases in the near γ grains and delamination and debonding in the lamellae. Boride ribbons of 5 μm in the near fully lamellar microstructure are found not to be detrimental to the tensile properties.     

Influence of Tool Rotational Speed and Post-Weld Heat Treatments on Friction Stir Welded Reduced Activation Ferritic-Martensitic Steel

The effects of tool rotational speed (200 and 700 rpm) on evolving microstructure during friction stir welding (FSW) of a reduced activation ferritic-martensitic steel (RAFMS) in the stir zone (SZ), thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ), and heat-affected zone (HAZ) have been explored in detail. The influence of post-weld direct tempering (PWDT: 1033 K (760 °C)/ 90 minutes + air cooling) and post-weld normalizing and tempering (PWNT: 1253 K (980 °C)/30 minutes + air cooling + tempering 1033 K (760 °C)/90 minutes + air cooling) treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties has also been assessed. The base metal (BM) microstructure was tempered martensite comprising Cr-rich M₂₃C₆ on prior austenite grain and lath boundaries with intra-lath precipitation of V- and Ta-rich MC precipitates. The tool rotational speed exerted profound influence on evolving microstructure in SZ, TMAZ, and HAZ in the as-welded and post-weld heat-treated states. Very high proportion of prior austenitic grains and martensite lath boundaries in SZ and TMAZ in the as-welded state showed lack of strengthening precipitates, though very high hardness was recorded in SZ irrespective of the tool speed. Very fine-needle-like Fe₃C precipitates were found at both the rotational speeds in SZ. The Fe₃C was dissolved and fresh precipitation of strengthening precipitates occurred on both prior austenite grain and sub-grain boundaries in SZ during PWNT and PWDT. The post-weld direct tempering caused coarsening and coalescence of strengthening precipitates, in both matrix and grain boundary regions of TMAZ and HAZ, which led to inhomogeneous distribution of hardness across the weld joint. The PWNT heat treatment has shown fresh precipitation of M₂₃C₆ on lath and grain boundaries and very fine V-rich MC precipitates in the intragranular regions, which is very much similar to that prevailed in BM prior to FSW. Both the PWDT and PWNT treatments caused considerable reduction in the hardness of SZ. In the as-welded state, the 200 rpm joints have shown room temperature impact toughness close to that of BM, whereas 700 rpm joints exhibited very poor impact toughness. The best combination of microstructure and mechanical properties could be obtained by employing low rotational speed of 200 rpm followed by PWNT cycle. The type and size of various precipitates, grain size, and evolving dislocation substructure have been presented and comprehensively discussed.     

Effect of thermal processing on the microstructure of Ti-26Al-11Nb: Applications to fusion welding

The possible microstructures resulting from both fusion and solid-state processing of Ti-26Al-11Nb at. pct (Ti-15Al-21Nb wt pct) have been determined. The particular microstructure produced was primarily a function of the cooling rate from theβ solvus. The most rapid cooling rate, associated with pulsed Nd:YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet) laser welding, resulted in a microstructure in which the high-temperatureβ underwent an ordering reaction on cooling to the CsCl (B2) crystal structure. Intermediate cooling rate (≈60 °C/s) specimens [characteristic of the fusion zone and heat-affected zone (HAZ) in arc welds] were found to undergo a complete transformation (no retainedβ observed) to an acicularα ₂ microstructure. Electron microprobe and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) analyses revealed no statistically significant compositional dψerences spatially within this structure. These two observations suggest that the transformation reaction in this cooling rate regime involves, at least in part, a compositionally invariant shear component. Controlled slow cooling rate (0.1 °C/s) experiments produced Widmanstätten microstructures which were two-phase (α ₂ +β). The retainedβ phase was observed to be highly enriched (≈35 wt pct) in Nb. The transformedα ₂ exhibited a very low dislocation density. Solidification cracking of fusion welds was not observed.     

Effect of thermal processing on the microstructure of Ti-26Al-11Nb: Applications to fusion welding

The possible microstructures resulting from both fusion and solid-state processing of Ti-26Al-11Nb at. pct (Ti-15Al-21Nb wt pct) have been determined. The particular microstructure produced was primarily a function of the cooling rate from theβ solvus. The most rapid cooling rate, associated with pulsed Nd:YAG (yttrium-aluminum-garnet) laser welding, resulted in a microstructure in which the high-temperatureβ underwent an ordering reaction on cooling to the CsCl (B2) crystal structure. Intermediate cooling rate (≈60 °C/s) specimens [characteristic of the fusion zone and heat-affected zone (HAZ) in arc welds] were found to undergo a complete transformation (no retainedβ observed) to an acicularα ₂ microstructure. Electron microprobe and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) analyses revealed no statistically significant compositional dψerences spatially within this structure. These two observations suggest that the transformation reaction in this cooling rate regime involves, at least in part, a compositionally invariant shear component. Controlled slow cooling rate (0.1 °C/s) experiments produced Widmanstätten microstructures which were two-phase (α ₂ +β). The retainedβ phase was observed to be highly enriched (≈35 wt pct) in Nb. The transformedα ₂ exhibited a very low dislocation density. Solidification cracking of fusion welds was not observed.     

The Sintering, Sintered Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti-Fe-Si Alloys

A systematic study has been conducted of the sintering, sintered microstructure and tensile properties of a range of lower cost Ti-Fe-Si alloys, including Ti-3Fe-(0-4)Si, Ti-(3-6)Fe-0.5Si, and Ti-(3-6)Fe-1Si (in wt pct throughout). Small additions of Si (??1?pct) noticeably improve the as-sintered tensile properties of Ti-3Fe alloy, including the ductility, with fine titanium silicides (Ti₅Si₃) being dispersed in both the ?? and ?? phases. Conversely, additions of ?>1?pct Si produce coarse and/or networked Ti₅Si₃ silicides along the grain boundaries leading to predominantly intergranular fracture and, hence, poor ductility, although the tensile strength continues to increase because of the reinforcement by Ti₅Si₃. Increasing the Fe content in the Ti-xFe-0.5/1.0Si alloys above 3?pct markedly increases the average grain size and changes the morphology of the ??-phase phase to much thinner and more acicular laths. Consequently, the ductility drops to <1?pct. Si reacts exothermically with Fe to form Fe-Si compounds prior to the complete diffusion of the Fe into the Ti matrix during heating. The heat thus released in conjunction with the continuous external heat input melts the silicides leading to transient liquid formation, which improves the densification during heating. No Ti-TiFe eutectoid was observed in the as-sintered Ti-Fe-Si alloys. The optimum PM Ti-Fe-Si compositions are determined to be Ti-3Fe-(0.5-1.0)Si.     

Improvement in mechanical properties of dental cast Ti-6Al-7Nb by thermochemical processing

Hydrogenation and dehydrogenation, that is, thermochemical processing (THP) and its variation with a post-heat treatment (THPH), are investigated in order to improve the balance of strength, elongation, and fatigue strength of cast Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-6Al-4V for dental applications. Microstructures of both cast alloys change from coarse Widmanst?tten α structure to super fine α structure with an average diameter of 3 μm by conducting THP or THPH. Tensile strength and fatigue limit of cast Ti-6Al-7Nb and Ti-6Al-4V increase by around 10 and 40 pct, respectively, as compared with those of both as-cast alloys. The balance of strength and ductility of cast Ti-6Al-7Nb is improved by conducting THPH as compared with the case where THP is conducted. This improvement is due to the plastic deformability of unstable β phase because the lattice constant of β phase in each alloy conducted with THPH is much greater than that of each as-cast alloy.     

Metastable β-type Ti-30Nb-1Mo-4Sn Alloy with Ultralow Young’s Modulus and High Strength

The effect of thermo-mechanical treatment on the mechanical properties of a novel metastable β-type Ti-30Nb-1Mo-4Sn (wt pct) alloy has been investigated. The solution-treated alloy consists of β and α″ phases and exhibits a two-stage yielding with a low yield stress (around 100 MPa). After cold rolling at a reduction of 87.5 pct and subsequent annealing treat at 623 K (350 °C) for 30 minutes, a fine microstructure with nano-sized α precipitates distributed in small β grains as well as high density of dislocations was obtained to achieve a yield strength of 954 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 999 MPa. With low stability of β phase and small volume fraction of α precipitates, the annealed specimen exhibits a low Young’s modulus of 45 GPa. Such an excellent combination of the low elastic modulus and high strength in mechanical properties indicates a great potential candidate for biomedical applications.     

Microstructure Evolution During Friction Stir Processing and Hot Torsion Simulation of Ti-6Al-4V

Friction stir processing of three variants of Ti-6Al-4V was conducted at processing temperatures both above and below the β-transus. The base metal substrates that were processed included wrought base metal in the α/β-processed and β-processed condition and weld overlay that was deposited using the gas tungsten arc welding process. Friction stir processing below the β-transus for the α/β-processed condition and the weld overlay produced fully equiaxed-α grains with submicron grain size, while in the β-processed condition, elongated equiaxed-α grains and regions of transformed-β with grain size in the 1 to 2 μm range were observed. Friction stir processing above the β-transus was microstructurally evident by a stir zone composed of 10 to 40 μm recrystallized β-grains with either a basket weave or colony structure and a continuous network of α at the grain boundary. Path and normal forces were recorded for in situ processing of Ti-6Al-4V in all three initial conditions. Comparatively, above-transus processing reduced the path force at the tool-to-workpiece interface, while processing below the β-transus caused the path force to increase by ~300 pct. Based on the dimensionless heat input, it appears that the stir zone microstructure is more dependent on spindle speed (RPM) than travel speed and that the heat input parameter is not a good indicator of the processing temperature. Hot torsion testing of α/β-processed Ti-6Al-4V was used as a method for physically simulating the stir zone microstructure produced from friction stir processing. At a strain rate of 2.5 s^?1 (250 RPM rotation rate), the transition from equiaxed-α to a transformed beta microstructure occurred at approximately 1223 K (950 °C). A comparison of FSP and hot torsion microstructures revealed nearly identical matching depending on the selection of hot torsion conditions.     

Neural Networks Relating Alloy Composition, Microstructure, and Tensile Properties of α/β-Processed TIMETAL 6-4

Bayesian neural networks have been developed, which relate composition, microstructure, and tensile properties of the alloy TIMETAL 6-4 (nominal composition: Ti-6Al-4V (wt pct) after thermomechanical processing (TMP) in the two-phase (α + β)-phase field. The developed networks are able to make interpolative predictions of properties within the ranges of composition and microstructural features that are in the population of the database used for training and testing of the networks. In addition, the neural networks have been used to conduct virtual experiments which permit the functional dependencies of properties on composition and microstructural features to be determined. In this way, it is shown that in the microstructural condition resulting from TMP in the two-phase (α + β) phase field, the most significant contribution to strength is from solid solution strengthening, with microstructural features apparently influencing the balance of a number of properties.     

Phase Transformation Textures in Hot-Rolled Binary Ti-Nb Alloys

The present work describes the phase transformation textures of three alloys, namely Ti-8Nb, Ti-12Nb, and Ti-16Nb after β and α + β solution treatments with different cooling rates. The strong, moderate, and weak variant selections have been observed depending on the alloy compositions and cooling rates. The β solution treated and water quenched (STWQ) specimens always exhibit a higher overall intensity than those of β solution treated and furnace cooled (STFC) specimens. This has been attributed to the presence of β phase, which has inhibited the growth of selected variants during cooling. The evidence of texture memory has also been observed after α → β→ α and α″ → β → α″ transformations. A combined effect of α _p, β, and ω phases has introduced different textures after α+β heat treatment than those of β heat-treated specimens. Extent of anisotropy in pole figures is more in water quenched (WQ) than those of furnace cooling (FC) specimens due to the development of equivalent orientations of individual crystallites during slow cooling.     

Low temperature creep of Ti-6 Al-4 V

Creep tests were conducted at 295 K on Ti-6 Al-4 V in the solution treated and aged (4 h at 815 K) condition, and in the as-welded condition. Some aged specimens were tested after pre-straining. Creep stresses ranged from 40 to 90 pct of the aged material yield strength. Results showed that creep was of the primary or transient kind in all cases, and was much greater in welded than in aged material. In general, pre-strains reduced creep, although a strain larger than 10^-3 was needed to do this at the highest creep stress. Activation areas A* were between 10 and 20 b², and thus were similar to tensile results on titanium and its alloys. The microstructural rationale applied to Ti-5 Al-2.5 Sn in earlier work, based on the character of dislocation sources, proved successful in understanding the effects of prestrain in this work. Formerly with Sandia Laboratories, Livermore, Calif.     

On the Texture Formation of Selective Laser Melted Ti-6Al-4V

Selective laser melting (SLM) has been shown to be an attractive manufacturing route for the production of α/β titanium alloys. The relationship between the SLM process parameters and the microstructure of titanium alloys has been the object of several works, but the texture formation during the SLM process has yet to be understood. In the present study, the texture formation of Ti-6Al-4V components was investigated in order to clarify which microstructural features can be tailored during the SLM process. The microstructural characterization of the as-built components was carried out using various microscopy techniques. Phase and texture analysis were carried out using backscattered electron imaging and diffraction. It was found that as-built components consist exclusively of α′ martensitic phase precipitated from prior β columnar grains. The texture of the prior β phase was reconstructed and discussed in relation to the used SLM process parameters. It was found that the β grain solidification is influenced by the laser scan strategy and that the β phase has a strong 〈100〉 texture along its grain growth direction. The α′ martensitic laths that originate from the parent β grains precipitate according to the Burgers orientation relationship. It was observed that α′ laths clusters from the same β grain have a specific misorientation that minimizes the local shape strain. Texture inheritance across successive deposited layers was also observed and discussed in relation to various variant selection mechanisms.     

Stress-Induced Twinning and Phase Transformations during the Compression of a Ti-10V-3Fe-3Al Alloy

A metastable β Ti-10V-3Al-3Fe (wt pct) alloy containing different α phase fractions after thermo-mechanical processing was compressed to 0.4 strain. Detailed microstructure evaluation was carried out using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron back-scattering diffraction. Stress-induced β → α′′ and β → ω transformation products together with {332}〈113〉β and {112}〈111〉β twinning systems were simultaneously detected. The effects of β phase stability and strain rate on the preferential activation of these reactions were analyzed. With an increase in β phase stability, stress-induced phase transformations were restricted and {112}〈111〉β twinning was dominant. Alternatively, less stable β conditions or higher strain rates resulted in the dominance of the {332}〈113〉β twinning system and formation of secondary α′′ martensite.     

Ti-5553合金车削加工性能研究

Ti-5553(Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr-0.5Fe)合金具有优异的综合力学性能,正逐步替代TC4(Ti-6Al-4V)钛合金成为高强度航空用工件的制备材料。然而,由于Ti-5553合金机械加工效率低,一定程度上制约了其在航空领域的大规模应用。为此,对Ti-5553合金与TC4钛合金的车削加工性能参数进行了探索,发现在相同的切削速度下,Ti-5553合金的主切削力和吃刀抗力均高于TC4钛合金,且最高切削速度仅为50 m/min。此外,两种合金在切削过程中均会与车刀发生扩散反应,而Ti-5553合金对刀具的磨损更为严重。相信本研究将为后期优化Ti-5553合金的车削加工参数、提高其加工效率提供有利的实验数据支持。     

Influence of the second phase on the room-temperature tensile and creep deformation mechanisms of α-β titanium alloys: Part I. Tensile deformation

The effects of α and β phase interactions on the room-temperature tensile and creep deformation behavior of α + β titanium alloys with Widmanst?tten microstructures were studied using Ti-6.0 wt pct Mn and Ti-8.1 wt pct V as the model two-phase alloy systems. This article, Part I, deals with tensile deformation. It was found that when the α phase is present as thin (<10-μm) plates in the α + β alloys, significant twinning occurs. No significant twinning was observed in single-phase alloys with the same chemistry and similar grain size. Additionally, the β phase of Ti-8.1 V deforms by stress-induced hexagonal martensite (α′), while only twinning occurs in the single-phase β alloy with the same chemistry. Twinning in the α phase in association with stress-induced martensite (SIM) in the β phase was observed for the first time in a two-phase titanium alloy. This behavior is explained in terms of a number of factors including elastic interaction stresses between the α and β phases, coherency between the α phase and hexagonal martensite, and β phase stability.     

Genesis of Microstructures in Friction Stir Welding of Ti-6Al-4V

This paper is focused on the genesis of microstructures in friction stir welding (FSW) of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Several titanium joints, initially prepared with four different preheat treatments, were processed by FSW. Detailed microstructural analyses were performed in order to investigate change in the microstructure during the process. In this work, the FSW processing allows a controlled and stable microstructure to be produced in the stirring zone, regardless of the initial heat treatment or the welding conditions. The welded material undergoes a severe thermomechanical treatment which can be divided into two steps. First, the friction in the shoulder and the plastic strain give rise to the necessary conditions to allow a continuous dynamic recrystallization of the β phase. This operation produces a fine and equiaxed β grain structure. Second, once the pin has moved away, the temperature decreases, and the material undergoes a heat treatment equivalent to air quenching. The material thus exhibits a β → β + α transformation with germination of a fine intergranular Widmanstätten phase within the ex-fully-recrystallized-β grains.     

Effect of Postweld Heat Treatment on Microstructure, Hardness, and Tensile Properties of Laser-Welded Ti-6Al-4V

The effects of postweld heat treatment (PWHT) on 3.2-mm- and 5.1-mm-thick Ti-6Al-4V butt joints welded using a continuous wave (CW) 4-kW Nd:YAG laser welding machine were investigated in terms of microstructural transformations, welding defects, and hardness, as well as global and local tensile properties. Two postweld heat treatments, i.e., stress-relief annealing (SRA) and solution heat treatment followed by aging (STA), were performed and the weld qualities were compared with the as-welded condition. A digital image correlation technique was used to determine the global tensile behavior for the transverse welding samples. The local tensile properties including yield strength and maximum strain were determined, for the first time, for the laser-welded Ti-6Al-4V. The mechanical properties, including hardness and the global and local tensile properties, were correlated to the microstructure and defects in the as-welded, SRA, and STA conditions.     

Transformations in α 2+γ titanium aluminide alloys containing molybdenum: Part I. Solidification behavior

The solidification structures of 12 alloys in the Ti-Al-Mo system with Al contents ranging from 44 to 50 at. pct and Mo contents ranging from 2 to 6 at. pct have been characterized metallographically and, for composition gradients, by electron probe microanalysis. All alloys solidify dendritically through sequences that fall into four distinct categories: alloys that solidify completely into the β phase field, alloys that solidify first into an L+β phase field and finally into an α+β phase field through an L+β+γ region, alloys that solidify first into a L+β phase field and finally form α+β+γ structures, and alloys that solidify into a L+α phase field. Postsolidification transformations occur as consequence of transitions from the high-temperature β, α+β, and α+γ phase fields to low-temperature α+β+γ or β+γ region. A variety of phase distributions result, such as Widmanstätten α ₂+B2 structures from the α → α+β reaction followed by ordering, lamellar α ₂+γ structures from the α → α+γ reaction followed by ordering of the α phase, eutectoid B2+γ structures from the α → B2+γ reaction, and platelike γ structures from the β → β+γ reaction. The former are observed in Al lean alloys, while the latter are present in Mo rich alloys.