Ti-6Al-4V合金中片层组织形成的相场模拟

Ti-6Al-4V是典型的α+β钛合金,不同热处理制度和热加工工艺下可得到形貌各异的微观组织,从而表现出不同的力学性能,深刻理解合金中微观组织的形成机制有助于合金的进一步优化和改造.采用相场方法模拟Ti-6Al-4V合金中片层组织的形成及演化,以热力学数据库和动力学数据库为输入,通过计算定量预测β晶界上已存在初生α相时合金组织随时间的演化.结果表明,在一定条件下,随着时间的延长晶界α向β晶内生长形成片层组织,片状α簇的形貌与界面能各向异性密切相关;晶界取向对片层生长有重要作用,垂直于晶界生长时产生最密集的片层,随倾斜角增大片层加厚且生长缓慢;此外,热处理温度显著改变片层组织形貌,温度越高,片层尖端生长速度越慢,片层间距越大. 关键词： Ti-6Al-4V 相场模拟 片层组织     

Investigation of Ti-6Al-4V alloy acoustic softening

High power ultrasonic vibration is widely used for improving manufacturing processes such as machining and metal forming. High frequency mechanical vibration affects material properties and friction forces in contacting surfaces. Flow stress reduction under superimposed ultrasonic vibration is called as acoustic softening. The amount of this parameter should be determined for ultrasonic assisted metal forming processes. For determination of this parameter for workhorse Ti-6Al-4V alloy, experimental setup was designed and fabricated. Then tensile test under longitudinal ultrasonic vibration was performed for different ultrasonic powers. Results show that ultrasonic vibration has considerable effect on plastic behavior of the alloy and decreases flow stress. Also, increasing ultrasonic power leads to higher acoustic softening. Yield stress reduction up to 9.52%, ultimate stress reduction up to 4.55% and elongation up to 13% were obtained at 340 W ultrasonic power. After applying ultrasonic vibrations and its termination, hardness of specimens were measured in which increase up to 9% was observed.     

CO2 laser gas assisted nitriding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Laser gas assisted nitriding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is carried out and nitride compounds formed and their concentration in the surface vicinity are examined. SEM, XRD and XPS are accommodated to examine the nitride layer characteristics. Microhardness across the nitride layer is measured. Temperature field and nitrogen distribution due to laser irradiation pulse is predicted. It is found that the nitride layer appears like golden color; however, it becomes dark gold color once the laser power irradiation is increased. The δ-TiN and ?-TiN are dominant phases in the surface vicinity. The needle like dendrite structure replace with the feathery like structure in the surface region due to high nitrogen concentration. No porous or microcracks are observed in the nitrided layer, except at high power irradiation, in this case, elongated cracks are observed in the surface region where the nitrogen concentration is considerably high.     

Grain refining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated by laser and wire additive manufacturing assisted with ultrasonic vibration

The formation of the coarse columnar crystal structure of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in the process of additive manufacturing greatly reduces the mechanical performance of the additive manufactured parts, which hinders the applications of additive manufacturing techniques in the engineering fields. In order to refine the microstructure of the materials using the high intensity ultrasonic via the acoustic cavitation and acoustic flow effect in the process of metal solidification, an ultrasonic vibration technique was developed to a synchronous couple in the process of Laser and Wire Additive Manufacturing (LWAM) in this work. It is found that the introduction of high-intensity ultrasound effectively interrupts the epitaxial growth tendency of prior-β crystal and weakens the texture strength of prior-β crystal. The microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V alloy converts to fine columnar crystals from typical coarse columnar crystals. The simulation results confirm that the acoustic cavitation effect applied to the molten pool created by the high-intensity ultrasound is the key factor that affects the crystal characteristics.     

Surface characteristics of self-assembled microporous Ti-6Al-4V compacts fabricated by electro-discharge-sintering in air

A single electro-discharge-sintering (EDS) pulse (1.0 kJ/0.7 g), from a 300 (F capacitor, was applied to atomized spherical Ti-6Al-4V powder in air to produce microporous compact. A solid core surrounded by a porous layer was self-assembled by a discharge in the middle of the compact. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the surface characteristics of the compact material. C, N, O and Ti were the main constituents, with smaller amounts of Al and V. The surface was lightly oxidized and was primarily in the form of TiO₂. A lightly etched EDS sample showed the surface form of metallic Ti, indicating that EDS breaks down the oxide film of the as-received Ti-6Al-4V powder during the discharge process. The EDS Ti-6Al-4V compact surface also contained small amounts of TiN in addition to TiO₂, resulting in the reaction between nitrogen in air and the Ti substrate in times as short as 125 μs.     

Fabrication of Zr and Zr-N surface alloying layers and hardness improvement of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by plasma surface alloying technique

Titanium alloys are very attractive materials because they have high specific strength, excellent corrosion and erosion resistance in many active environments. However, their low hardness values and poor tribological properties require improvement of their surface properties. The present study is concerned with the fabrication of Zr and Zr-N alloying layers in the surfaces of Ti-6Al-4V substrates by plasma surface alloying technique. The microstructure, chemical composition and hardness of the surface alloying layers were analyzed to understand the mechanisms of surface alloying and hardness improvement. The Zr and Zr-N surface alloying layers formed were homogeneous and compact, in which the surface alloying elements all displayed gradient distributions. The Zr and Zr-N surface alloying layers all enhanced the surface hardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Zr-N surface alloying resulted in greater improvement in hardness and the maximum microhardness of (1.37 ± 0.04) × 10³ HK was obtained at the subsurface, which was much higher than that of the untreated Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The Zr-N surface alloying layer consisted of an outer nitride layer and an inner diffusion zone of Zr and N, and its very high hardness owed to the formation of the nitride layer. The mechanism of hardness improvement of Zr surface alloyed Ti-6Al-4V alloy was solid solution strengthening.     

Hydrogen peroxide treatment on Ti-6Al-4V alloy: A promising surface modification technique for orthopaedic application

Ti-6Al-4V alloy was treated with various concentrations (5 wt.%, 15 wt.% and 25 wt.%) of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and then heat treated to produce an anatase titania layer. The surface modified substrates were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for the growth of an apatite layer on the surface and the formed apatite layer was characterized using various surface characterization techniques. The results revealed that titania layer with anatase nature was observed for all H₂O₂ treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy, irrespective of the H₂O₂ concentrations. Ti-6Al-4V alloy treated with 15 wt.% and 25 wt.% of H₂O₂ induced apatite formation, however 5 wt.% of H₂O₂ treated Ti-6Al-4V failed to form apatite layer on the surface. The electrochemical behaviour of H₂O₂ treated specimens in SBF solution was studied using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Ti-6Al-4V alloy treated with 25 wt.% of H₂O₂ solution exhibited low current density and high charge transfer resistance values compared to specimens treated with other concentrations of H₂O₂ and untreated Ti-6Al-4V alloy.     

Investigation of the voltage and time effects on the formation of hydroxyapatite-containing titania prepared by plasma electrolytic oxidation on Ti-6Al-4V alloy and its corrosion behavior

Producing titania and hydroxyapatite (HA) bioceramic coating on titanium alloys increases corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of these alloys. Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) is one of the effective techniques for producing this type of coating. This method produces coatings with enough thickness and appropriate adhesion. In this study, titania and HA were directly produced on Ti-6Al-4V by applying PEO process in a Ca- and P-containing electrolyte by changing voltage and time parameters. Morphology and cross section, chemical composition and elements of coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy, respectively. Corrosion behavior of the samples was also examined by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicated that the formation of HA phase with titania needs a minimum voltage below which HA is not formed. By increasing the operation time, the amount of the formed HA increased. Also, the sample coated at 500 V and 15 min showed the best corrosion behavior in Ringer's solution.     

Experimental investigation and metallographic characterization of fiber laser beam welding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using response surface method

In the present study, experimental investigations of fiber-laser-beam-welding of 5 mm thick Ti-6Al-4V alloy are carried out based on statistical design of experiments. The relationship between the process parameters such as welding power, welding speed, and defocused position of the laser beam with the output responses such as width of the fusion zone, size of the heat affected zone, and fusion zone area are established in terms of regression models. Also, the most significant process parameters and their optimum ranges are identified and their percentage contributions on output responses are calculated. It is observed that welding power and speed plays the major role for full penetration welding. Also, welding power shows direct effect whereas welding speed shows the inverse effect on the output responses. The bead geometry is influenced by the defocused position of the laser beam due to the change in power density on the workpiece surface. However, overall fusion zone area is unaffected. Mechanical characterization of the welded samples such as microstructural analysis, hardness, and tensile tests are conducted. It is noticed that the hardness value of the FZ is higher than the HAZ and BM zone due to the difference in cooling rate during welding which promotes the formation of α′ martensitic phase in the FZ. Also, an average hardness value in the FZ is compared for two different defocusing positions (i.e. 1 and 2 mm). It is found that hardness value is higher for 1 mm defocused position than 2 mm due the decrement in grain size below a critical range at 2 mm defocused position. The ultimate tensile strength and % elongation of the welded samples are degraded as compared to BM which can be further improved by post heat treatment.     

Combination of laser keyhole and conduction welding: Dissimilar laser welding of niobium and Ti-6Al-4V

Pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of pure niobium plate to titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V sheet in butt joint is studied regarding the laser/metal interaction modes. To obtain the optimized process parameters in dissimilar welding of Ti-6Al-4V/Nb, the melting ratio of laser beam energy for each weld counterpart is evaluated experimentally. Different laser welding modes of keyhole and conduction are predicted regarding the absorbed energy from the similar laser pulses on each weld counterpart. Laser keyhole and conduction welding were observed simultaneously through direct visualization of laser interaction with dissimilar metals using High Speed Imaging (HSI) system.     

Ti-2Al-2.5Zr合金He离子辐照效应研究

 在Ti-2Al-2.5Zr合金中注入能量为75 keV的He离子,注入剂量分别为5×10¹⁶cm^-2,1×10¹⁷ cm^-2。通过显微硬度测量和剖面电子显微观察,研究了He离子对Ti-2Al-2.5Zr合金力学性能和显微组织的影响。结果表明:样品的显微硬度随He离子注量的增加而升高,在温度为350和550 ℃的Ar气中退火后硬度有所下降。剖面电子显微观察发现有位错环和He气泡生成,退火后He气泡有长大、缺陷有回复的趋势。辐照产生的位错环是辐照后硬度升高的直接原因,其退火发生回复又引起硬度随退火温度的升高而降低。     

Local zone wise elastic and plastic properties of electron beam welded Ti–6Al–4V alloy using digital image correlation technique: A comparative study between uniform stress and virtual fields method

Joining of materials using welding results in the formation of material zones with varying microstructure across the weld. Extraction of the mechanical properties of those individual heterogeneous zones are important in designing components and structures comprised of welds. In this study, the zone wise local extraction of the elastic and plastic properties of an electron beam welded Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy has been carried out using both the uniform stress method (USM) and the virtual fields method (VFM) involving digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The surface strain field obtained using DIC technique from a transverse weld specimen tensile testing is used for extracting the zone wise strain evolution. Initially, using uniform stress assumption, zone wise full range stress–strain curves are extracted. In USM methodology, the elastic and plastic material models are fitted to the zone wise stress–strain curves and required parameters are extracted from it. But inherent disadvantage is lot of images need to be processed for the parameter extraction. Recently, VFM is gaining lot of popularity in characterization domain as it is robust, accurate and faster. VFM is based on the principle of virtual work where, the weak form of local equilibrium equations and kinematically admissible virtual displacement fields are utilized for parameter extraction. Hollomon׳s power law is used here as the hardening rule. Young׳s modulus, Poisson׳s ratio, yield stress, strength coefficient and strain hardening exponent are the parameters extracted zone wise using both USM and VFM. A Vicker׳s microhardness measurement is also conducted across the weld zone towards mapping the strength behavior. Fusion zone has reported higher yield strength, strength coefficient and Poisson׳s ratio. Young׳s modulus value is found decreasing from base metal towards the fusion zone. The trend observed in parameter variation across the weld zone obtained by both USM and VFM compares very well. Due to various advantages associated with VFM technique it is generally recommended for parameter extraction.     

Microstructure and tribological behaviors of Ti6Al4V alloy treated by plasma Ni alloying

Ni modified layer was prepared on surface of the Ti6Al4V substrate by plasma surface alloying technique. Surface morphology, micro-structure, composition distribution, phase structure, and microhardness of the Ni modified layer were analyzed. Tribological performance of the Ni modified layer and Ti6Al4V substrate was investigated by using pin-on-disc tribometer. The results indicate that roughness of the Ni modified layer was increased due to formation of the micro-convex on the modified surface. The concentration of Ni gradually decreased from the surface to interior. The maximum content of Ni atoms was nearly 90%. The modified layer was composed of TiNi, Ti2Ni and Ti phases. The maximum microhardness of the Ni modified layer was about 677 HV_0.025 which was increased about two-fold of microhardness of the control Ti6Al4V substrate. Wear resistance of the Ni modified layer was improved obviously, and showed micro-abrasion wearing. The strengthened mechanism of the as-treated Ti6Al4V alloy is discussed.     

Electrical discharge machining of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V)

In this study, the electrical discharge machining (EDM) of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) with different electrode materials namely, graphite, electrolytic copper and aluminium and process parameters such as, pulse current and pulse duration were performed to explore the influence of EDM parameters on various aspects of the surface integrity of Ti6Al4V. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrograph (EDS) and hardness analysis were performed. The experimental results reveal that the value of material removal rate, surface roughness, electrode wear and average white layer thickness are tendency of increase with increasing current density and pulse duration. However, extremely long-pulse durations such as 200 μs led to decrease MRR and surface roughness. Furthermore, the surface hardness is increasing due to the Ti₂₄C₁₅ carbides formed on the surface and obvious cracks are always evident in re-solidified layer when machining copper electrode. The surface crack densities and critical crack lines were determined for the tested material. The graphite electrode is beneficial on material removal rate, electrode wear and surface crack density but relatively poorer surface finish.     

Structure and tribological performance by nitrogen and oxygen plasma based ion implantation on Ti6Al4V alloy

Ti6Al4V alloy was implanted with nitrogen-oxygen mixture by using plasma based ion implantation (PBII) at pulsed voltage −10, −30 and −50 kV. The implantation was up to 6 × 10¹⁷ ions/cm² fluence. The changes in chemical composition, structure and hardness of the modified surfaces were studied by XPS and nanoindentation measurements. According to XPS, it was found that the modified layer was predominantly TiO₂, but contained small amounts of TiO, Ti₂O₃, TiN and Al₂O₃ between the outmost layer and metallic substrate. Surface hardness and wear resistance of the samples increased significantly after PBII treatment, the wear rate of the sample implanted N₂-O₂ mixture at −50 kV decreased eight times than the untreated one. The sample implanted N₂-O₂ mixture showed better wear resistance than that of the sample only implanted oxygen at − 50 kV. The wear mechanism of untreated sample was abrasive-dominated and adhesive, and the wear scar of the sample implanted at −50 kV was characterized by abrasive wear-type ploughing.     

Growth characteristics of plasma electrolytic oxidation ceramic coatings on Ti-6Al-4V alloy

The aim of this work is to discuss the growth characteristics of the ceramic coatings on Ti alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique. Ceramic coatings were prepared on Ti alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation in different electrolyte solutions under different pulse modes. The composition and the structure of the coatings were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The amount of the dissolved titanium into the electrolytes during PEO process was measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). The structure and the composition of the coatings were related to the mode of the spark discharge during PEO process. (a) Under the pulsed single-polar mode: In Na₃PO₄ solution, the spark discharge was mainly due to the breakdown of the oxide film, and the coatings prepared were porous and mainly structured by the Ti from the substrate. In K₄ZrF₆-H₃PO₄ and NaAlO₂-Na₃PO₄ solutions, the main mode of the spark discharge was the breakdown of the oxide film at the initial stage, and then changed into the breakdown of the vapor envelope, and the coatings were rough and thick, and mainly structured by the elements from the electrolyte. (b) Under the pulsed bi-polar mode in NaAlO₂-Na₃PO₄ solution, the spark discharge may be mainly due to the breakdown of the oxide film, the coatings prepared were dense in inner layer and loose in outer layer, and structured by the elements from both the substrate and the electrolyte. Besides, the ICP-AES analyses showed that the amount of the dissolved titanium in the electrolyte during PEO process was more under the breakdown of the oxide film than under the breakdown of the vapor envelope, which was consistent with the changes of the structure of the coatings. Cathode pulse in the pulsed bi-polar mode increased the amount of the dissolved titanium in the electrolyte, compared with the pulsed single-polar one.     

Laser gas-assisted processing of carbon coated and TiC embedded Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface

Laser gas-assisted treatment of Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface is carried out. The alloy surface is initially coated by a carbon layer, in which the TiC particles are embedded prior to laser processing of the surface. The carbon coating with the presence of TiC particles on the workpiece surface is expected to result in carbonitride compound in the surface vicinity after the laser treatment process. Optical and scanning electron microscopes are used to examine the morphological and the metallurgical changes in the laser treated layer. The residual stress formed in the surface region after the laser treatment process is critical for the practical applications of the resulting surface. Therefore, the residual stress formed in the laser treated region is predicted from the analytically equation. The X-ray diffraction technique is incorporated to obtain the residual stress formed in the surface region. It is found that the residual stress predicted agrees with the X-ray diffraction data. The dense structures consisting of TiC_xN_1−x, TiN_x, Ti₂N, and TiC compounds are formed in the surface region of the treated layer. This, in turn, significantly increases the microhardness at the surface.     

The effect of bone structure on ultrasonic attenuation and velocity

The relationship between the structure of bovine cancellous bone, and its ultrasonic propagation parameters is investigated by means of a novel technique involving the application of large static loads, thereby changing the porosity in a controlled manner. The results show that for frequencies in the range 0.4 to 1 MHz, porosity decreases up to 35% are associated with a reduction in attenuation of up to 500%, whereas the velocity increases by roughly 35% for the same changes. The data taken overall suggest that in determining the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient at these frequencies, the amount of material in a given bone section is significantly less important than the distribution of that material.     

Infrared thermography for monitoring heat generation in a linear friction welding process of Ti6Al4V alloy

The increasing use of titanium alloys in a wider range of applications requires the development of new techniques and processes capable to decrease production costs and manufacturing times. In this regard welding and other joining techniques play an important role. Today, solid state friction joining processes, such as friction stir welding, friction spot welding, inertia friction welding, continuous-drive friction welding and linear friction welding (LFW), represent promising methods for part manufacturing. They allow for joining at temperature essentially below the melting point of the base materials being joined, without the addition of filler metal.However, the knowledge of temperature is essential to understand and model the phenomena involved in metal welding. A global measured value represents only a clue of the heat generation during the process; while, a deep understanding of welding thermal aspects requires temperature field measurement. This paper is focused on the use of infrared thermography applied to the linear friction welding process of Ti6Al4V alloy. The attention is concentrated on thermal field that develops on the outer wall of the two parts to be joined (i.e. heat generated in the friction zone), and on the maximum temperature that characterizes the process before and after the flash formation.