Abstract:
This thesis reports a study of grain refinement of two-phase Ti-6Al-4V alloy by thermomechanical
treatment, TMT, methods. Starting with comparing the effect of solution treatment temperature
(950 and 1050๐C) on microstructure, the effects of cooling rate on microstructures were then
investigated by furnace cooling, air cooling and water quenching. Hot rolling were performed at 850,
900 and 950๐C to compare the effect of rolling temperature on microstructure. The effect of
reduction percentage during hot rolling 16, 32 and 64% plus air cooling was also examined.
The effect of annealing time and temperature on microstructure were investigated by annealing at
700 and 950๐C for 1, 2 and 4 hours. The mechanical testings were conducted at room and elevated
temperatures to study the influence of microstructures on mechanical properties before and after
TMT.
It was found that solution treatment at 950๐C resulted in equiaxed alpha structure and solution
treatment at 1050๐C resulted in lamellar alpha structure. After solution treatment at 950๐C and
hot rolling at 850, 900 and 950๐C with 64 % reduction per pass, the structure consisted of deformed
alpha grains. Hot rolling at 950๐C produced the finest alpha grains from 20 to 8 micron and at 1050
๐C produced Widmant?tten structure. Grain refinement at the temperature of alpha-beta equilibrium,
below tranus temperature is influenced by dynamic recrystallization. However, hot rolling at 950๐C
with 16 and 32% reduction per pass (total 64%) produced flow alpha or kinking structure which
were refined by annealing at 950๐C with 1,2 and 4 hours. The finest grain was found when annealed
for 4 hours with grain aspect ratio is 1.2 because of globularization.
The hot rolling of 1050๐C-solution-treated specimens at 850, 900 and 950๐C with 64% reduction per
pass resulted in irregular alpha structures. Hot rolling at 1050๐C with 64% reduction per pass
produced alpha colony pressed in beta prior grain boundary. Hot rolling at the 950๐C with 16 and
32% produced elongated alpha grains.
The room temperature mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V after TMT with fine equiaxed (8 micron)
grain were slighty higher than the properties before TMT with coarse quiaxed (20 micron) grain.
The ultimate tensile strength increased from 957 to 990 MPa, the tensile yield strength increased
from 918 to 942 MPa, the Vickers hardness increased from 357 to 400 HV. The elongation was
lowered from 12.90 to 8.42 %. The high temperature tests were carried out at 850, 900 and 950๐C
with strain rates range of 10-4-10-2 s-1. It was found that the finer-grain specimen exhibited larger
elongation than the coarser-grain ones. Maximum elongations at 900๐C and strain rate 10-4 s-1 for
fine-grained and coarse-grained were 474 and 300%, respectively.
Thermomechanical treatments resulted in grain refinement of Ti-6Al-4V. The equiaxed grain was
refined from 20 to 8 micron (60%). Grain refinement resulted in higher tensile properties at both
room and high temperatures.