Mechanical Properties of Forged Ti-6Al-4V Structure by Electron Beam Welding

Abstract

The blisk (bladed disk) is a new structural component of the modern aero-engine and plays an important role in improving its performance. Ti-6Al-4V alloy joints welded by electron beam have been widely used for compressor blisk in advanced aero engine. It is necessary to analyze microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V welded structure by electron beam welding (EBW) for failure analysis and structure design of blisk. Microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V welded structure by EBW was investigated by microscopic observation and micro indentation testing. Experiment results show grain coarsening in fusion zone (FZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) appears large gradient organization structure, which presents significant local heterogeneity. On the centerline perpendicular to the welding direction, Vickers microhardness was measured in increments of 1mm, 0.5mm, 0.25mm and 0.1mm. Due to the presence of martensite, microhardness of the fusion zone is about 20% higher than that of the base material. The size of joints in different regions was acquired, 2.5 to 3.0-mm-wide in FZ and about 0.7-mm-wide in HAZ respectively. Three different types of EBW samples were designed for tensile test, including welded structure, welded joint and base material. Three different stress-strain curves of specimens were acquired, including welded joint. The experiment data indicates that the tensile strength of welded joints is 8% more than that of the base metal.