Thermomechanical powder processing of beta-eutectoid bearing near-alpha Ti alloys

Abstract

This work focuses on developing near-alpha Ti alloys via the selective addition of small concentrations of low-cost eutectoid [Formula: see text]-stabilizers like Cu and Mn. In particular, these newly designed near-alpha Ti alloys are manufactured via the cheapest powder metallurgy route of cold pressing plus sintering. Moreover, thermomechanical deformation of the sintered alloys via hot forging in the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] field was also investigated aiming to enhance the mechanical properties through reduction of the residual porosity and microstructural control. It is found that the initial addition of a small amount of eutectoid [Formula: see text]-stabilizers leads to higher tensile properties with comprision to pure Ti produced by powder metallurgy, and this is due to the formation of a coarse lamellar structure due to the presence of [Formula: see text]-stabilizers. Further enhancement of the strength is achieved by means of hot thermomechanical processing thanks to sealing of the residual pores, texturing, and refinement of the microstructural features.