γ-TiAl Alloy Research Articles

Wear mechanism of aggregated cBN grains during single-grain ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of γ-TiAl alloys

Wear mechanism of aggregated cBN grains during single-grain ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of γ-TiAl alloys

Comparative study on machinability and surface integrity of γ-TiAl alloy in laser assisted milling

γ-TiAl alloy, as a typical difficult-to-cut material, is considered to have great potential in aero-engine manufacturing. However, it is difficult to achieve high-quality processing of γ-TiAl alloy using traditional cutting processes, due to the room temperature brittleness and high strength of theγ-TiAl alloy. This study proposes a fiber laser assisted machining (LAM) method to improve the cutting quality of γ-TiAl alloy, which attempts to address current challenges in applications of aero-engine manufacturing. The machinability and surface integrity of γ-TiAl specimens using LAM method and conventional milling are analyzed and discussed. Through cutting force testing, chip morphology research, surface hardness testing, and microstructure observation, it is found that the LAM method significantly improves the machinability and machined surface integrity of γ-TiAl specimens. Furthermore, the cooling strategies in LAM is discussed through comparative cutting experiments. During continuous LAM processing, it is found that the rapid heat accumulation effect induces tool adhesive wear, which leads to the decline of cutting quality and tool failure. The experimental results indicate that liquid cooling is an available strategy to reduce tool wear. However, it should be noted that periodic thermal shock by liquid cooling causes surface roughness to increase in continuous LAM processing. Through this work, it is proved that the LAM method can improve machinability and surface integrity of γ-TiAl specimens, which has great potential and worths further studies.

On revealing the mechanisms involved in brittle-to-ductile transition of fracture behaviors for γ-TiAl alloy under dynamic conditions

On revealing the mechanisms involved in brittle-to-ductile transition of fracture behaviors for γ-TiAl alloy under dynamic conditions

Statistical analysis of lamellar and Widmannstätten structures obtained in Nb-rich γ-TiAl alloy with varied cooling rate and annealing duration

Nb-rich γ-TiAl alloys are of interest for enhanced mechanical properties and oxidation resistance. The influence of cooling rate and annealing duration on microstructural evolution of Nb-rich γ-TiAl alloy (Ti-45Al-8Nb-0.2B) has been meticulously investigated, with emphasis on phase volume fraction, grain size, and lamellar spacing. The alloy was annealed at 1320 °C for 15 min, and then furnace-cooled, oil-quenched or cryogenic quenched, whereas annealing for 2 h and 26 h was followed by water quenching. The post-anneal microstructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopy, along with energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron backscattered diffraction. Across all samples, a fully lamellar microstructure comprising α2 and γ phases has been consistently achieved, along with sporadically observed small β precipitates, and elongated ribbon-like TiB2. Widmannstätten colonies (WC) have been observed with diverse morphologies, most of which exhibited an angle of around 64° to regular lamellae, supporting the theory of {1‾1‾22} twinning in the α-phase for WC formation. The γ phase fraction has decreased with increasing cooling rate and annealing time. Grain size and lamellar spacing have also declined with cooling rate but increased with annealing time. Additionally, the mean size of equiaxed γ grains has enlarged with annealing duration.

Role of Ti-6Al-4V addition in modulating crack sensitivity, solidification microstructure and mechanical properties of laser powder bed fused γ-TiAl alloys

Solidification cracking is still the primary challenge for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) without high-temperature preheating of γ-TiAl alloys. Circumventing the peritectic reaction and promoting β-solidification by adding the β-stablizing elements have been proved to be an effective way to suppressing the crack formation. In this work, we attempted a more economic method to realize β-solidification via the addition of Ti-6Al-4V (TC4) pre-alloyed powder. The results showed that the TC4 addition successfully changed the solidification path from L→L+β→L+α→α→α+γ→α2+γ to L→L+β→β→α+β→α2+β/B2. As a result, the solidified microstructure was mainly comprised of primary α2 phase and small amount of retained β/B2 (8.5 %) phase distributed along the molten pool boundary. What's more important was that the TC4 addition led to a 44.6 % decrease in crack density. Contributions to low hot cracking sensitivity were found to mainly origin from the relatively lower cooling rate, higher fraction of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and smaller dendrite coalescence undercooling induced by the TC4 addition. Besides, the smaller temperature interval (10.63K) in the final solidification stage (0.90<fs < 0.94) for the TC4/TiAl alloy was also conducive to facilitate the liquid feeding and dendrite coalescence.

Research on nanocutting mechanism of polycrystalline γ-TiAl alloy at different temperatures

The γ-TiAl alloy is widely used in the aerospace industry due to its remarkable properties. However, its deformation mechanism during nanocutting is significantly influenced by temperature variations. This study utilizes molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the nanocutting processes of polycrystalline γ-TiAl alloy across a range of low and high temperatures. The focus is on how the initial equilibrium temperature affects cutting force, cutting temperature, Von Mises stress, shear strain, atomic phase transformation, and dislocation evolution during the nanocutting of the alloy.The results indicate that at lower temperatures, a decrease in initial equilibrium temperature leads to a gradual increase in the number of atoms in intermediate states, accompanied by diminished heat diffusion. Conversely, in high-temperature cutting scenarios, the initial equilibrium temperature is negatively correlated with the cutting force (Fx); specifically, the average Fx at 300K is 1.72 times that at 1050K. At elevated temperatures, as the initial equilibrium temperature increases, the chip formation mode transitions from fracture to shear, resulting in higher internal Von Mises stress and shear strain within the chips, as well as a wider shear line. Additionally, further increases in the initial equilibrium temperature lead to a broader atomic flow bandwidth in the shear region.At 173K, the counts of BCC and HCP structured atoms reach their minima, comprising 62.5 % and 55 % of their respective maximum values. Moreover, the densities of 1/2<110> (perfect) dislocations and 1/3<111> (Frank) dislocations decrease with rising initial equilibrium temperatures, showing growth rates exceeding 80 % as the temperature increases from 300K to 1050K.

Exploring the brittle-to-ductile transition and microstructural responses of [formula omitted]−TiAl alloy with a crystal plasticity model incorporating dislocation and twinning

γ−TiAl alloy, with its high specific strength and creep resistance, is ideal for aerospace engines and gas turbines, but its brittleness poses significant manufacturing and processing challenges. To address these issues, this study employs a crystal plasticity finite element method incorporating dislocation and twinning to analyze the brittle-to-ductile transition behavior of γ−TiAl alloy at different temperatures. Additionally, the Bayesian optimization methods are employed to efficiently and accurately obtain parameters related to numerical calculations of crystal plasticity. The results indicate that at room temperature, the high activation resistance of the slip systems in the α2 phase leads to limited slip activity, resulting in poor plasticity. However, at 750 °C and 850 °C, the strength of the slip systems decreases significantly, allowing more α2 phase lamellae in the γ-TiAl alloy to undergo greater plastic deformation. This enhancement in the plastic deformation capacity of the α2phase lamellae reduce the overall deformation incompatibility in the TiAl alloy, thereby improving the overall ductile of the γ-TiAl alloy.

Thermal stability of a newly developed Mn containing β-solidifying γ-TiAl intermetallic compound at 750 °C

A newly low-cost β-solidifying γ-TiAl alloy Ti-44Al-3Mn-0.4Mo-0.4W-0.1B-0.1C (in at. %, named as TMMW) was invented. The rolled bars with a diameter of 12 mm were successfully fabricated by conventional hot rolling process, directly carrying out from the ingot without the pre-forging or hot-packing. The heat-treated TMMW rolled bar, which had a fine-grained nearly lamellar (NL) microstructure, was then air-exposed at 750 °C for up to 3000 h. The changes of the microstructure during this exposure were characterized using electron probe X-ray micro-analyzer (EPMA), transmission electron microscope (TEM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and high-energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD). The tensile properties of the samples before and after thermal exposure were also tested. The fine-grained NL microstructure is found to be thermodynamically stable during the exposure. Meanwhile, the combined addition of Mo and W shows a positive effect on the stabilization of βo phase at colony boundaries, with only slight precipitation of the nanometer βo phases with no other brittle phases, such as Laves, in the metastable α2 lamellae. It is found that the thickness of the α2 lamellae decreases after 500 h exposure, while remains basically unchanged from 500 h to 3000 h, which is contributed by the effective pinning effect of the precipitated βo phase in α2 lamellae. As a result, the exposure-induced embrittlement under room temperature and elevated temperature does not take place. Interestingly, the ductility tested at 800 °C improves significantly after exposure. As for the tensile strength, it is only reduced by less than 10 % after 500 h exposure, while it remains essentially unchanged when increasing the exposure time from 500 h to 3000 h. Finally, the mechanisms of the precipitation of βo phases in the α2 lamellae and the tensile properties evolution during the exposure were carefully discussed.

Investigation on the surface damage mechanism of single-crystal γ-TiAl alloy with pore defects based on nanocutting

The γ-TiAl alloy is highly regarded as one of the most promising materials in the aerospace industry. Nonetheless, pore defects are an unavoidable challenge during its manufacturing process. To thoroughly examine the impact of these defects on the surface damage mechanism during the nanometric cutting of γ-TiAl alloy, this study utilizes molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to analyze the nanometric cutting of single-crystal γ-TiAl alloy containing pore defects. The research explores the influence of various cutting parameters and pore defect radii on cutting forces, atomic migration and surface morphology, stress and strain, sub-surface defect evolution and atomic phase transformation, and dislocation dynamics, with the goal of clarifying the surface damage mechanisms in nanometric cutting.The findings indicate that as the pore defect radius increases, the disparity between Fx and Fz becomes more pronounced, the Von Mises stress within the chip decreases, and the thickness of the sub-surface defect structure layer diminishes. When the pore defect radius is 15 Å, a "shear-off" phenomenon is observed on the cutting surface, with Fx values ranging from 2.5 to 7 times those of Fz. An increase in cutting depth results in a broader side flow width of the surface chip, raising the proportion of atoms from layers without pore defects within the chip. At a cutting depth of 20 Å, the matrix with larger pore defects shows a distinct strain distribution profile. The atomic structure of the matrix primarily consists of FCC-structured atoms.At high cutting speeds, when the pore defect radius is 10 Å, an increase in cutting depth from 10 Å to 30 Å leads to a 7.9 % rise in amorphous structure atoms. During the cutting process, dislocations predominantly occur in the shear slip zone and near the pore defects. At a cutting speed of 50 m/s and a cutting depth of 10 Å, the density of 1/6<112>(Shockley) dislocations for a pore defect size of 15 Å is 2.24 times that of a 10 Å defect; at a cutting depth of 30 Å, the density of 1/6<112>(Shockley) dislocations for a 10 Å pore defect is 2.15 times that of a 15 Å defect.

The oxidation resistance of Ni nanoparticle incorporated SiOC coating for TiAl alloy

In this work, SiOC coatings incorporated with Ni nanoparticles were fabricated on γ-TiAl alloy by dip-coating. The microstructure and high temperature oxidation behavior of the SiOC-Ni coatings with different Ni contents were investigated. Results showed that the incorporation of Ni nanoparticles improved the oxidation resistance of the SiOC coating at 850 ℃. During thermal exposure to air, the incorporated Ni particles would react with both oxygen and the SiOC coating, forming NiO and Ni2Si, respectively, therefore changing the structure of the SiOC coating. The generation of NiO and Ni2Si is beneficial in reducing the oxygen partial pressure at the coating/substrate interface, thereby facilitating the formation of a protective aluminum oxide layer.

Wear behavior and microstructure evolution of lamellar γ-TiAl alloy at room and elevated temperatures

The wear behavior of lamellar Ti-46Al-2Nb-2Cr was investigated by reciprocating sliding at room and service temperatures. The wear scar and subsurface microstructure were studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The coefficient of friction (COF) increased with the temperature. However, the wear volume loss first decreased and then increased, due to the formation of a relatively complete tribo-layer at 750 ℃. Abrasive wear, oxidative wear and adhesive wear were activated at elevated temperatures. Reciprocating sliding introduced gradient nano-grained structures covered with tribo-layers. Compared to room temperature, the oxidative tribo-layer and nano-grained layer formed at 750 ℃ were thicker. And the nano-grains were finer. Nano-grains at room temperature and 750 ℃ were related to defects and enhanced dynamic recrystallization, respectively.

Effect of UEVC parameters on cutting surface quality and subsurface damage of single crystal γ-TiAl alloy via atomic simulation

TiAl alloys are favored by the aerospace industry due to its excellent mechanical properties. However, its intrinsic brittleness, the use of conventional cutting (CC) process leads to the problems of high cutting force and high cutting temperature, which in turn affects the machined surface quality. Ultrasonic elliptical vibratory cutting (UEVC) has been proved to be an effective method to improve the surface quality and reduce the subsurface damage of difficult-to-machine materials. This paper compares the effects of CC and UEVC processes on cutting forces and subsurface damage based on molecular dynamics simulation methods, and the effects of elliptical vibration frequencies and amplitude ratios (AR) on surface morphology, roughness, and subsurface damage are investigated. The results show that the cutting force and subsurface damage in the UEVC process are reduced compared with that in the CC. Due to the vibration frequency, the subsurface damage is mainly dominated by atomic clusters, and both surface and subsurface masses show an optimization trend as the vibration frequency decreases. In terms of the AR, the surface quality is better at an AR of 2/3, with less activation of immovable dislocations, and the degree of subsurface damage decreases as the AR increases, and a relatively stable defective structure emerges when the AR is 1/2. The simulation results facilitate an atomic-scale comprehension of the removal mechanism of UEVC and further provide a theoretical foundation for the surface mass and subsurface damage mechanism and optimization of vibrational parameters of UEVC single crystal γ-TiAl alloy.

Simulation and Experimental Study on Stress Relaxation Response of Polycrystalline γ-TiAl Alloy under Nanoindentation Based on Molecular Dynamics.

This study employed nano-indentation technology, molecular dynamics simulation, and experimental investigation to examine the stress relaxation behaviour of a polycrystalline γ-TiAl alloy. The simulation enabled the generation of a load-time curve, the visualisation of internal defect evolution, and the mapping of stress distribution across each grain during the stress relaxation stage. The findings indicate that the load remains stable following an initial decline, thereby elucidating the underlying mechanism of load change during stress relaxation. Furthermore, a nano-indentation test was conducted on the alloy, providing insight into the load variation and stress relaxation behaviour under different loading conditions. By comparing the simulation and experimental results, this study aims to guide the theoretical research and practical application of γ-TiAl alloys.

Effect of interface type on deformation mechanisms of γ-TiAl alloy under different temperatures and strain rates by molecular dynamics simulation

Crystalline interface plays a significant role in strengthening lamellar γ-TiAl alloys through reconciling the strength and ductility. Herein, the effects of temperature and strain rate on the tensile deformation of three lamellar γ-TiAl interface models are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The three interfaces, pseudo twin (PT), rotational boundary (RB), and true twin (TT), exhibit different tensile responses due to the different interface effects: TT interface only acts as a barrier of dislocation traversing to facilitate crack extension; PT interface acts as both dislocation barrier and emission source and has a stronger release of strain energy than TT interface, retarding the crack extension; RB interface can retard and resist crack extension due to the blunting and deflection of the crack tip and the best interface geometry compatibility. The defect evolution indicates that the elevated temperature suppresses dislocation propagation at low strain rate, while the high strain rate causes small lamellar stacking faults and slit-shaped holes along tensile direction at low temperature. In addition, the dual conditions of high strain rate and low temperature induce the phase transition from FCC to BCC and then BCC to HCP. These findings provide a specific insight to understand the atomistic mechanism of interface-mediated deformation.

Effect of structure tool on nano-cutting surface integrity of single crystal γ-TiAl alloy via atomic simulation

To investigate the impact of microgroove geometry at the tool's flank face on the surface integrity of the workpiece, molecular dynamics simulation is utilized to establish a model of cutting single crystal γ-TiAl alloy using various structured nanodiamond tools. The effect of groove shape on the surface integrity of single crystal γ-TiAl alloys was investigated by analyzing mechanical properties, workpiece surface quality, and subsurface damage during the cutting process. The results show that non-structured tool cuts γ-TiAl alloy with the highest cutting force, and the V-groove tool cuts with the lowest friction coefficient, which is favorable for the removal of single crystal γ-TiAl alloy. Statistical atomic phase transitions during cutting confirmed that structured tools reduce subsurface damage, especially V-grooved tool reduce the generation of defective atoms. The circular arc grooved tool effectively reduces the subsurface temperature of the single crystal γ-TiAl alloy workpiece by reducing the friction at the tool chip interface due to lower normal cutting force. In addition, the circular arc grooved tool cutting has stronger atomic flow and surface recovery ability compared with other tools, and smaller surface roughness can be obtained. Therefore, selecting a reasonable structured tool can effectively improve the machinability of single crystal γ-TiAl alloy.

Effect of aqueous layer thickness on nano-scratching of single-crystal γ-TiAl alloys

ABSTRACT The study of nano-scratching under water lubrication is helpful to understand the role of lubrication mechanism in the machining of single crystal γ-TiAl alloy. In this paper, through the comparative analysis of nano-scratching under different thicknesses of water layers, it was found that under a water layer thickness of 1 nm, nano-scratching not only improves the surface quality but also achieves multiple reductions in scratch force, stress, temperature and subsurface structural damage. In order to deeply reveal the internal mechanism of workpiece temperature variation under different thicknesses of water layer lubrication, a fitting formula was innovatively adopted to conduct quantitative analysis. In addition, with the increase of the thickness of the water layer, it was observed that the water film effect was continuously enhanced, and this change caused the matrix stress to gradually increase, which hindered the forward motion of the nanoscratch, ultimately resulting in an increase in the friction coefficient. These findings provide valuable insights into the nanoscratching mechanism of monocrystalline γ-TiAl alloy in the presence of water film, and provide a new perspective for understanding the complex mechanism of nanoscratch behaviour under water lubrication, thus promoting the understanding of nanoscale lubrication effects.

Interaction between dynamic recrystallization and phase transformation of Ti-43Al-4Nb-1Mo-0.2B alloy during hot deformation

The β solidified γ-TiAl alloy holds important application value in the aerospace industry, while its complex phase compositions and geometric structures pose challenges to its microstructure control during the thermal-mechanical process. The microstructure evolution of Ti-43Al-4Nb-1Mo-0.2B alloy at 1200 °C/0.01 s−1 was investigated to clarify the coupling role of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and phase transformation. The results revealed that the rate of DRX in α2+γ lamellar colonies was comparatively slower than that in βo+γ mixed structure, instead being accompanied by intense lamellar kinking and rotation. The initiation and development rates of DRX in α2, βo, and γ phases decreased sequentially. The asynchronous DRX of the various geometric structures and phase compositions resulted in the uneven deformed microstructure, and the dynamic softening induced by lamellar kinking and rotation was replaced by strengthened DRX as strain increased. Additionally, the blocky α2 phase and the terminals of α2 lamellae were the preferential DRX sites owing to the abundant activated slip systems. The α2→βo transformation within lamellar colonies facilitated DRX and fragment of α2 lamellae, while the α2→γ transformation promoted the decomposition of α2 lamellae and DRX of γ lamellae. Moreover, the varied βo+γ mixed structures underwent complicated evolution: (1) The γ→βo transformation occurred at boundaries of lamellar colonies, followed by simultaneous DRX of γ lamellar terminals and neighboring βo phase; (2) DRX occurred earlier within the band-like βo phase, with the delayed DRX in enclosed γ phase; (3) DRX within the βo synapses and neighboring γ phase was accelerated owing to generation of elastic stress field; (4) Dispersed βo particles triggered particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) of γ phase. Eventually, atomic diffusion along crystal defects in βo and γ phases caused fracture of band-like βo phase and formation of massive βo particles, impeding grain boundary migration and hindering DRXed grain growth of γ phase.

Hierarchically heterogeneous microstructure and mechanical properties in laser-directed energy deposition of γ-TiAl alloy through intrinsic cyclic heat treatment

The complex thermal effects of laser direct energy deposition (L-DED) provide significant advantages for production of high-performance γ-TiAl alloy, whereas challenges still exist in microstructure tailoring and mechanical properties. This work focuses on the influence of intrinsic cyclic heat treatment (ICHT) on the evolution of microstructures and mechanical properties in different building height regions of an L-DED TiAl alloy thin-wall sample. The results indicate that ICHT induces discontinuous coarsening (DC) effects by consuming the lamellar interface energy of the initial lamellae, resulting in grain refinement. With the increase in building height, the thermal accumulation leads to an increase in the initial lamellar spacing, which weakens the DC effect. At the top, insufficient thermal cycles prevent fine grain growth and erode coarse grains, hindering overall grain refinement. Ultimately, the hierarchically heterogeneous microstructure forms in the L-DED TiAl alloy, including refinement of hierarchical lamellar colony structure decorated with fine (α2+γ) lamellar structure and (α2+6H-LPS) lamellar structure (6H-LPS refers to 6H long-period structure phase). Specifically, the bottom region exhibits the best combination of ultimate tensile strength (706 ± 33 MPa) and strain (0.68 ± 0.05 %). The high tensile strength can be attributed to the hindrance of dislocation movement by the fine lamellae and the 6H-LPS phase ,caused by the high cooling rate of L-DED, while the elongation is attributed to the reduction in crack propagation energy due to the presence of fine grains.

Molecular dynamics simulation of the effect of tool parameters on nano-cutting of polycrystalline γ-TiAl alloys

As one of the most promising lightweight high-temperature structural materials in the future, the surface quality of γ-TiAl alloys has a great influence on the performance of the workpieces, and the tool parameters are an important factor affecting the machining results. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations of the nano-cutting process of polycrystalline γ-TiAl alloys with different tool parameters were carried out. The results show that increasing the tool rake angle and decreasing the tool edge radius within a certain range helps to reduce the average cutting force, cutting force fluctuation, cutting temperature, and stabilize the cutting process, while the change of the tool clearance angle has less influence on the cutting process. In contrast, negative rake angle cutting is more likely to produce grain rotation and grain boundary steps in the processed substrate and increase the processed surface roughness than positive rake angle cutting; increasing the tool rake angle within a certain range will weaken the elastic recovery effect of the substrate. During cutting at a positive rake angle, whether a portion of the substrate is prone to slip toward the surface of the substrate, thereby reducing the surface quality, depends on the relative state of grain orientation and force applied in the substrate.

Effects of hatch spacing on densification, microstructural and mechanical properties of β-solidifying γ-TiAl alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

β-solidifying γ‑titanium aluminide (γ-TiAl) alloys, which typically contain β-phase stabilizers such as Nb and Cr, hold great promise for the aerospace industry and can potentially be processed through additive manufacturing to realize performance unachievable using conventional methods. However, the effects of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) parameters on the characteristics of the thus obtained samples remain underexplored. To address this gap, we herein examined the effects of hatch spacing on the densification, microstructural, and mechanical properties of L-PBF-fabricated Ti-44Al-6Nb-1.2Cr (at.%) alloy samples, revealing that the strong influence on thermal history induced the variation in densification and formation of two microstructure types. 0.01 mm hatch spacing resulted in repetitive slow cooling and sufficiently remelting, thus suppressing crack formation, promoting high densification, and inducing a complex phase transformation involving the formation of a basket-weave-structured α2 phase and the 〈001〉 alignment of the β phase along the build direction. 0.06 mm hatch spacing resulted in rapid cooling and insufficient heat accumulation, favoring the massive phase transformation, a jagged morphology α2 phase with a randomly distributed crystallographic texture. Hardness was mainly correlated with phase constitution and volume fraction, whereas compressive properties were jointly determined by additional effects of multiple factors such as grain size and crystallographic texture. This work provides the fundamental insights required to suppress defect formation in β-solidifying γ-TiAl alloys and tailor their microstructure for mechanical property enhancement.