Effects of heat input on microstructure evolution, mechanical and corrosion properties of TC4 alloy by keyhole TIG welding

Abstract

In this study, Keyhole tungsten inert gas (TIG) process, a new variation of traditional TIG process, was performed to weld TC4 titanium alloy with a thickness of 6 mm. The effect of heat input on microstructure and their correlation with mechanical properties and corrosion behavior was studied. The results showed that the microstructure of fusion zone and heat-affected zone changed obviously due to the change of heat input. The microstructure in the joints was transformed from equiaxed primary α and α+β lamellae to complete primary β grains, and then α′ phases were precipitated in the primary β grain. With the increase of heat input, the content and length of the acicular α′ phase grains were increased, resulting in a decrease in the number of high angel grain boundaries (HAGBs). Due to the phase strengthening effect of α′ phases, the microhardness of the joints increased, and the tensile strength increased, reaching a maximum value of 1030.1 MPa when the heat input was 1118 J/mm. The impact toughness of the joints increased firstly and then decreased. The corrosion behavior of the joints was worse than that of the base metal (BM). The best corrosion resistance was obtained when the heat input was 1046 J/mm. It concluded that the excellent comprehensive properties can be obtained when the heat input was in the range of 1046–1118 J/mm.