An assessment into mechanical properties and microstructural behavior of TIG welded Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy

Abstract

PurposeTitanium (Ti) alloys are in high demand in manufacturing industries all over the world. The property like high strength to weight ratio makes Ti alloys highly recommended for aerospace industries. Ti alloys possess good weldability, and therefore, they were extensively investigated with regard to strength and metallurgical properties of welded joint. This study aims to deal with the analysis of strength and microstructural changes in Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) alloy after tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding.Design/methodology/approachTwo pair of Ti alloy plates were welded in two different voltages, i.e. 24 and 28 V, with keeping the current constant, i.e. 80 A It was a random selection of current and voltage values to check the performance of welded material. Both the welded plates were undergone through some mechanical property analysis like impact test, tensile test and hardness test. In addition, the microstructure of the welded joints was also analyzed.FindingsIt was found that hardness and tensile properties gets improved with an increment in voltage, but this effect was reverse for impact toughness. A good corroboration between microstructure and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, hardness and toughness, was reported in this work. Heat distribution in both the welded plates was simulated through ANSYS software to check the temperature contour in the plates.Originality/valueA good corroboration between microstructure and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, hardness and toughness, was reported in this study.