Processing of metastable beta titanium alloy: Comprehensive study on deformation behaviour and exceptional microstructure variation mechanisms

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2022.02.050

Abstract

Abstract:

Thermomechanical processing (TMP) is especially crucial for metastable β titanium alloys, which has received significant attention in the community for a long time. In this contribution, the processing-responding behaviour including microstructure evolution process, texture variation mechanism, and underlying deformation process of powder metallurgy Ti-5553 alloy in a wide processing parameter range was comprehensively investigated. Thermal physical simulation was performed on the alloy at temperatures ranging from 800 °C to 1100 °C, and strain rates between 0.001 s⁻¹ and 10 s⁻¹, to varied deformation degrees of 20%-80% height reduction. It was found that the processing parameters (i.e. temperature, strain rate, and deformation degree) are influential on the deformation process and resultant microstructure. Varied microstructural evolution processes for β phase including flow localization, dynamic recovery, dynamic recrystallization, and grain coarsening are activated in different processing domains, while different evolution mechanisms for α phase including dynamic precipitation, phase separation, dynamic coarsening, and mechanical shearing also play their roles under different processing conditions. In particular, four exceptional evolution mechanisms of α precipitation which have not been previously reported in titanium alloys were discovered and clearly demonstrated, more specifically, they are multi-interior twinning, internal compositing, layered coarsening and selective diffusion-actuated separation. After the establishment of comprehensive microstructural evolution mechanism maps, the guidance for precise processing and the knowledge reserve extension for deformation process of metastable β titanium alloys can be effectively achieved.

Key words: Metastable β titanium alloy, Powder metallurgy, TMP, Microstructure evolution, Texture variation

Qinyang Zhao, Leandro Bolzoni, Yongnan Chen, Yiku Xu, Rob Torrens, Fei Yang. Processing of metastable beta titanium alloy: Comprehensive study on deformation behaviour and exceptional microstructure variation mechanisms[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2022, 126: 22-43.

Figures/Tables 19

Fig. 1. Initial microstructure of as-consolidated alloy: (a) orientation map; (b) phase distribution map (blue area is β matrix, red area refers to α precipitation); (c) GB map (LAGBs are indicated by green lines, and HAGBs are in black); (d) PFs of β phase.

Fig. 2. True stress-true strain curves of the alloy deformed under different conditions: (a) temperature of 900 °C, and varied strain rate; (b) strain rate of 0.01 s−1, and varied temperatures.

Fig. 3. EBSD results of the alloy deformed under the conditions of 900 °C/70% and varying strain rates: (a1)-(a3) 10 s−1; (b1)-(b3) 1 s−1; (c1)-(c3) 0.1 s−1; (d1)-(d3) 0.01 s−1; (e1)-(e3) 0.001 s−1. Orientation maps are captured along TD, and GOS maps are constructed for β phase.

Table 1. Equilibrium volume fractions (after heating and socking, before deformation) of α phase at the temperatures in α+β region.

Temperature ( °C)	Equilibrium volume fraction (%)
800	36.7
850	32.5
900	25.6
950	6.5

Fig. 4. EBSD results of the alloy deformed under the conditions of 900 °C/0.1 s−1 and varied deformation degrees: (a1)-(a3) 20%; (b1)-(b3) 30%; (c1)-(c3) 40%; (d1)-(d3) 50%; (e1)-(e3) 60%; (f1)-(f3) 80%. Orientation maps are captured along TD, and GOS maps are constructed for β phase.

Fig. 5. EBSD results of the alloy deformed under the conditions of 0.01 s−1/70% and varied deformation temperatures: (a1)-(a3) 800 °C; (b1)-(b3) 850 °C; (c1)-(c3) 950 °C; (d1)-(d3) 1000 °C; (e1)-(e3) 1050 °C; (f1)-(f3) 1100 °C. Orientation maps are captured along TD.

Fig. 6. EBSD orientation maps and corresponding IPFs for DRXed and deformed/sub-structured regions (β phase) of the alloy deformed under the conditions of 900 °C/70% and varied strain rates: (a1, a2) 1 s−1; (b1, b2) 0.1 s−1; (c1, c2) 0.01 s−1; (d1, d2) 0.001 s−1. The grains with GOS index less than 2° are recognized as DRXed grains, orientation maps are captured along TD.

Fig. 7. EBSD orientation maps and corresponding IPFs for DRXed and deformed/sub-structured regions (β phase) of the alloy deformed under the conditions of 900 °C/0.1 s−1 and varied deformation degrees: (a1, a2) 40%; (b1, b2) 50%; (c1, c2) 60%; (d1, d2) 80%. The grains with GOS index less than 2° are recognized as DRXed grains, orientation maps are captured along TD.

Fig. 8. TEM results demonstrating dynamic variation mechanisms of α precipitation under various conditions (70% deformation): (a, b) 800 °C/1 s−1; (c, d) 800 °C/0.01 s−1; (e) 850 °C/1 s−1; (f) 850 °C/0.01 s−1; (g) 900 °C/1 s−1; (h) 900 °C/0.01 s−1.

Fig. 9. TEM results demonstrating layered coarsening mechanism of α precipitation under the condition of 800 °C/0.01 s−1/70%: (a, b) BF-TEM images of layered coarsening α phase (LCP-α); (c) detailed microstructure characteristics of LCP-α; (d, e) SAED patterns of the corresponding areas in (c); (f) features of layered coarsening area; (g, h) HRTEM images recorded at the marked square regions in (f), with corresponding FFT patterns inset; (i) IFFT images of the marked square region in (h), showing the lattice and dislocation structure, with FFT patterns inset.

Fig. 10. TEM results demonstrating α separation and β wedging mechanisms under the condition of 850 °C/0.01 s−1/70%: (a, b) BF-TEM images of the separating α phase; (c) HRTEM image of the separating/wedging area with corresponding FFT patterns insert; (d) HADDF-STEM-EDS map of the separating/wedging area; (e)-(h) IFFT images of the marked square regions in (c), with corresponding FFT patterns inserted. (i) STEM-EDS spot analysis results of the specific points in (c).

Fig. 11. TEM results demonstrating multi-interior twinning mechanism of α precipitation under the condition of 800 °C/10 s−1/70%: (a, b) IT α phase (ITα); (c, d) close-up view of the internal micro-twinning; (e, f) SAED patterns of the corresponding areas in (d); (g) dislocation configures near ITα; (h) transverse fracture of compression twin; (i) longitudinal fracture of tension twin with SAED pattern inserted.

Fig. 12. TEM results demonstrating internal compositing mechanism of α precipitation under the condition of 900 °C/10 s−1/70%: (a, b) early stage of the composite-structured α phase (CSα); (c, d) detailed surrounding environment of CSα; (e) interfacial features of CSα and β matrix; (f1, f2): DF-TEM images of CSα; (g) close-view of embedded α inside CSα; (h, i) SAED patterns of the corresponding areas in (g).

Fig. 13. TEM results demonstrating detailed microstructural features of CSα: (a) BF-TEM images of CSα; (b) HRTEM images of the embedded α and major α phases; (c) HRTEM images of an early-stage embedded α phase of the marked square region in (b); (d)-(f) IFFT micrographs of the marked square regions in (c) with corresponding FFT patterns inserted.

Fig. 14. Schematic diagrams demonstrating the exceptional and newly-discovered evolution mechanisms of α phase during TMP: (a) layered coarsening phenomenon; (b) phase separation and selective diffusion; (c) multi-interior twinning; (d) internal compositing.

Fig. 15. Pole figures of α phase for the alloy deformed under various conditions, corresponding to Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, with the deformation degree of 70%: (a) 900 °C/10 s−1; (b) 900 °C/1 s−1; (c) 900 °C/0.1 s−1; (d) 900 °C/0.01 s−1; (e) 900 °C/0.001 s−1; (f) 800 °C/0.01 s−1; (g) 850 °C/0.01 s−1; (h) 950 °C/0.01 s−1.

Fig. 16. Pole figures of α phase for the alloy deformed at various deformation degrees, corresponding to Fig. 4, with the deformation temperature and strain rate of 900 °C/0.1 s−1: (a) 30%; (b) 40%; (c) 50%; (d) 60%; (e) 70%; (f) 80%.

Fig. 17. Images showing thermal-dynamic correspondence of varied microstructural evolution processes: (a) 3D power dissipation efficiency (η) map; (b) 2D η map; (c) η distribution along the strain rate line (Fig. 17(b)) of 0.01 s−1; (d) η distribution along the temperature line (Fig. 17(b)) of 900 °C.

Fig. 18. Schematic mapping demonstrating the dominating microstructural evolution mechanism for the alloy during TMP with varied temperatures and strain rates: (a) α phase; (b) β phase.

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