The effect of heat treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-extruded Ti-6Al-4V alloy rod from blended elemental powders

Abstract

In this study, Ti-6Al-4V bars were first prepared by extrusion of powder compacts from blended powder mixtures in the beta phase region, then the as-extruded bars were heat-treated following four different conditions: beta quenching and aging (βQA), broken up structure (BUS) treatment, solution treatment and aging (STA) and recrystallization annealing (RA). The effect of the heat treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties was studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and mechanical test to determine which heat treatment condition has the greatest impact on the mechanical properties of the as-extruded Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The results show that the as-extruded condition has the best balance of strength (1120 MPa of UTS) and ductility (11% of elongation to failure). βQA and STA lead to a slight increase in strength but ductility decreases considerably. After BUS and RA treatments, both strength and ductility are reduced. The relationship between processing, microstructure and properties was studied, and their implications towards fatigue behaviour and fracture toughness discussed.