Effect of boron and hydrogen on microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract: Titanium and its alloys are widely used in applications ranging from aeroengines and offshore equipment to biomedical implants and sporting goods, owing to their high ratio of strength to density, excellent corrosion resistance, and biomedical compatibility. Among the titanium alloys used in aerospace, Ti-6Al-4V (an α+β alloy) is the most widely used, in applications in which the temperature may reach 350°C, at which point it retains good fatigue and fracture properties as well as moderate tensile strength and ductility. These alloy properties are dependent on variables such as crystalline structure, alloy chemistry, manufacturing techniques and environmental conditions during service. These variables influence the microstructure and mechanical properties of titanium alloys. With regard to the alloy chemistry and operating environment, the focus of the present work is to understand the influence of boron and hydrogen on the microstructure and selected mechanical properties of cast Ti-6Al-4V. The addition of boron to cast Ti-6Al-4V (0.06 and 0.11 wt% in this work) refines the coarse “as cast” microstructure, which is evaluated quantitatively using FoveaPro image analysis software. Compression testing was performed using a Gleeble 1500 instrument, by applying a 10% strain at different strain rates (0.001, 0.1 and 1 s-1) for temperatures in the range 25-1100°C. The tests were performed to evaluate the effect of boron on the mechanical properties of the alloy. It was observed that there is an increase in the compressive strength, predominantly at room temperature, of cast Ti-6Al-4V after the addition of boron. Metallographic evaluation showed that this increase in strength is a likely result of reductions in both the prior β grain and α colony dimensions, which is caused by boron addition. Studies in a hydrogen environment at 150 bar showed that cast Ti-6Al-4V exhibited lower yield strength and lower ultimate tensile strength in comparison with those properties measured in an air environment. No significant change in the ductility was observed. It was also noted that in a high strain range (≈2%) the low cycle fatigue (LCF) life was significantly reduced in hydrogen compared with air. Microstructural and fractographic characterization techniques were used to establish the role of hydrogen on the deformation mechanism by analysing the crack propagation path through the microstructure. It is seen that cracks tend to propagate along the interface between prior β grain boundaries and/or along the α colony boundaries