Ti2AlNb Alloy Research Articles

Ultraviolet laser induced periodic surface structures positively influence osteogenic activity on titanium alloys

Background/ObjectiveEndoprostheses might fail due to complications such as implant loosening or periprosthetic infections. The surface topography of implant materials is known to influence osseointegration and attachment of pathogenic bacteria. Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) can improve the surface topography of orthopedic implant materials. In this preclinical in vitro study, laser pulses with a wavelength in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum were applied for the generation of LIPSS to positively influence formation of extracellular matrix by primary human Osteoblasts (hOBs) and to reduce microbial biofilm formation in vitro.MethodsLaser machining was employed for generating UV-LIPSS on sample disks made of Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al7Nb alloys. Sample disks with polished surfaces were used as controls. Scanning electron microscopy was used for visualization of surface topography and adherent cells. Metal ion release and cellular metal levels were investigated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cell culture of hOBs on sample disks with and without UV-LIPSS surface treatments was performed. Cells were investigated for their viability, proliferation, osteogenic function and cytokine release. Biofilm formation was facilitated by seeding Staphylococcus aureus on sample disks and quantified by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining.ResultsUV-LIPSS modification results in topographies with a periodicity of 223 nm ≤ λ ≤ 278 nm. The release of metal ions was found increased for UV-LIPSS on Ti6Al4V and decreased for UV-LIPSS on Ti6Al7Nb, while cellular metal levels remain unaffected. Cellular adherence was decreased for hOBs on UV-LIPSS Ti6Al4V when compared to controls while proliferation rate was unaffected. Metabolic activity was lower on UV-LIPSS Ti6Al7Nb when compared to the control. Alkaline phosphatase activity was upregulated for hOBs grown on UV-LIPSS on both alloys. Less pro-inflammatory cytokines were released for cells grown on UV-LIPSS Ti6Al7Nb when compared to polished surfaces. WGA signals were significantly lower on UV-LIPSS Ti6Al7Nb indicating reduced formation of a S. aureus biofilm.ConclusionOur results suggest that UV-LIPSS texturing of Ti6Al7Nb positively influence bone forming function and cytokine secretion profile of hOBs in vitro. In addition, our results indicate diminished biofilm formation on UV-LIPSS treated Ti6Al7Nb surfaces. These effects might prove beneficial in the context of long-term arthroplasty outcomes.

A grey relational analysis of the micro arc oxidation process parameters and their effects on Ti-6Al-7Nb coating performance and corrosion resistance for biomedical uses

Abstract In current investigation micro arc oxidation of Ti6Al7Nb alloy was done to improve its surface properties and corrosion resistance. Mixture of Na2SiO3, Na3PO412H2O and KOH is used as electrolyte. MAO treated Ti6Al7Nb specimens were examined using x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine their morphology and phase composition. It was observed that electrolyte composition is simultaneously included in the growing oxide layer during MAO process. From electrochemical study it was found that corrosion resistance of the Ti6Al7Nb increases during EIS testing in 0.9% NaCl solution. It was found that frequency, duty cycle, current and processing time effect the surface roughness, thickness, hardness and corrosion resistance of coating. Out of above mention parameters frequency and duty cycle has major impact on performance parameters. The objective of current investigation is to find out effects MAO process parameters on coating performance parameters such as coating thickness, hardness, surface roughness and corrosion resistance. At duty cycle of 50%, frequency 500 Hz, current 300 mA and processing duration 7.5 min, highest coating thickness 32.96 μm and surface roughness 3.3680 μm was obtained. Process parameters have the influence on pore size, biggest average pore size 3.8519 μm was obtained at duty cycle of 50%, frequency 500 Hz, current 300 mA and processing duration 7.5 min. Grey relational analysis is done to determine which process variable has the most influence on performance parameters. From grey relational analysis technique, it was observed that duty cycle 50%, frequency 500 Hz, current 300 mA, and processing time 7.5 min are ideal process parameters for higher coating thickness, hardness, surface roughness and better corrosion resistance. From grey relation analysis it was also found that frequency has most significant impact on performance parameters after that duty cycle, then current and at last processing time.

The microstructural development and erosion mechanism of BaZrO3/Al2O3 double ceramics by Ti–46Al–8Nb alloy melt

In this study, the erosion of BaZrO3/Al2O3 double ceramics by Ti–46Al–8Nb alloy melt was investigated at different melting temperatures (1833 K, 1873 K and 1913 K) and time (1800 s, 3600 s, 5400 s and 7200 s). The microstructure of erosion layer and the alloy ingot were analyzed as well as the oxygen content of the alloy ingot. The erosion mechanism was clarified in the kinetic perspectives. The results showed that the new oxide BaAl2O4 production was attached on the ingot surface, and two kinds of inclusions, i.e., (Ti, Zr)5(Si, Al)3 and YAlO3, were formed in the ingot matrix. The thickness of erosion layer, the oxygen content of ingot, and the volume fraction of inclusions increased with increasing melting temperatures and time. In addition, these three phenomena were controlled by the kinetics of dissolution, and the time exponents were approximately equaled to 0.5, indicating that the erosion mechanism was dissolution controlled by mutual diffusion between the double ceramics and alloy melts. The activation energies of three phenomena were determined by Arrhenius equation, and three kinetic models were further established.

In-situ synchrotron high energy X-ray diffraction study on the compressive creep behavior of an extruded Ti-45Al-8Nb-0.2C alloy

Wrought high Nb containing (high Nb-TiAl) alloys are potential materials for low pressure turbine blades in aero-engines. The performance and microstructure evolution under high temperature creep condition is of importance to the service stability of these materials. In this study, the internal strain and FWHM evolution of an extruded TNB-based high Nb-TiAl alloy during compressive creep are characterized by in-situ high energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) technique for the first time. The compressive creep test was conducted under a constant load of 300 MPa at 900 °C for 10 h in vacuum. The final creep strain is approximately 1.72 %. The microstructure and phase constitution after creep shows little difference from that before creep. Lattice strain analysis shows that γ phase is plastically deformed while the α2 phase deforms elastically due to the low creep strain. The lattice strain of α2 grains is dependent upon the deformation of surrounding γ grains. Creep induces dynamic recovery, exerting a softening effect. A high number of dislocations are visible in the γ lamellae while almost no dislocations exist within the α2 lamellae. α2 lamellae are partially decomposed and refined via the α2→γ transformation.

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Titanium Film-Modified Sapphire/High Nb-TiAl Alloy Joints Using Ag-Cu Filler by Vacuum Brazing

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Titanium Film-Modified Sapphire/High Nb-TiAl Alloy Joints Using Ag-Cu Filler by Vacuum Brazing

Effect of Er2O3 and Y2O3 on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti2AlNb alloy

Rare earth oxides can significantly refine the microstructure of the cast alloys and improve their mechanical properties. In this study, Er2O3 and Y2O3 particles were chosen to add into the Ti2AlNb-based alloy with vacuum non-consumable arc melting method. For the Er2O3 particles, it has obvious dissolution and re-precipitation characteristics during melting. While for the Y2O3 particles, they are more stable, and aggregated and grew up during melting. These two kinds of Er2O3 or Y2O3 both have obvious refinement effects on the B2 grains due to their heterogeneous nucleation. Specially, adding Er2O3 particles can promote the decomposition of the B2 and α2 phases and the increases of the O-phase content. But adding the Y2O3 particles can inhibits the B2 decomposition and just only promotes the α2 decomposition into the O-phase. Additionally, the TAC-Er2O3 ingot shows the worst mechanical properties at room-temperature due to its large size and grain boundary segregation of the Er2O3 reinforcements. Conversely, the TAC-Y2O3 alloy exhibits excellent strength and ductility whatever at room- and high- temperatures owing to its fine grain strengthening and effective strengthening of the second precipitated Y2O3 phases.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and properties of Ti2AlNb alloy formed by selective laser melting

The Ti2AlNb alloy exhibits characteristics such as remarkable specific strength and resistance to high-temperature oxidation. Parts fabricated from Ti2AlNb can substantially decrease weight while maintaining performance, hence presenting extensive application potential in aircraft. This study systematically examines the microstructural evolution and its influence on the mechanical properties of Ti2AlNb alloy, produced via Selective Laser Melting (SLM), in response to the demand for high-performance Ti2AlNb alloys under various temperature solution treatments and uniform aging treatments (B2, B2+α2, B2+α2+O). It was found that the alloy's microstructure showed significant differences in different phase regions after heat treatment, especially the close correlation between the distribution number of O phase and its morphological characteristics and the comprehensive properties of the alloy. These results have significant implications for enhancing the use of Ti2AlNb alloy in the manufacturing, aerospace, and energy industries. They also offer a crucial theoretical foundation for optimizing the heat treatment procedure of this alloy, which SLM prepares.

The influence of electrical/thermal fields on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti2AlNb alloy from the view of molecular dynamics

Abstract The mechanism of the electrical non-thermal effects on metals is still unclear. Simulations at the atomic level are used to obtain some causes of non-thermal electroplasticity. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the change of defects including vacancies, edge dislocations and screw dislocations in B2, α 2 and O phases of Ti2AlNb alloy in static or dynamic situations under pure thermal field and continuous/pulsed electric fields. External energy fields can restore most of these defects. Moreover, different energy input methods have the same restoration effect on defects in the same phase. Thus, the restoration of defects in Ti2AlNb alloy by an electric field is mainly based on the thermal effect. However, the uneven distribution of electro-induced atomic kinetic energy in uniaxial tension simultaneously reduces its deformation resistance. Non-thermal effects in the electrically-assisted processing of industrial-grade materials consist of the instantaneous atomic kinetic distribution imbalance induced by electrical pulses.

The effect of post heat treatment on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Ti2AlNb intermetallic alloy prepared by point-forging and laser-deposition

Ti2AlNb-based intermetallic alloy is considered to be the latest class of light-weight structural material severing in the range of 600∼750 °C. Hybrid interlayer point-forging with laser-deposition (PF-LD) provides a new idea to produce near-net-shape Ti2AlNb part with promising mechanical performance. The present work mainly investigated the effect of post heat-treatment on microstructural evolution and tensile mechanical properties of PF-LDed Ti2AlNb alloy. The experimental results demonstrated that solution-treated at 940 °C–1020 °C followed by aging at 840 °C was effective to regulate phase morphology and tensile mechanical properties. With the consecutive increase of solution temperature, more fine-lamellar O-phase was reprecipitated within parent B2/β matrix during secondary aging treatment. The ultimate tensile strength was enhanced significantly from 1055.5 MPa to 1148.1 MPa with the help of precipitation hardening effect. In the meantime, stronger stress accumulation introduced by fine-lamella also exerted a detrimental impact on tensile strain capability, and the elongation after failure decreased from 10.9 % to 7.4 % with increasing solution temperature. Considering above results, this study provides a basic research for exploring the heat treatment of PF-LDed Ti2AlNb-alloy, and it is feasible to obtain high-strength and high-ductility properties by tailoring phase morphology.

Controlling the tensile properties of a high-strength-ductility Ti2AlNb alloy by hot rolling

In this work, a high-strength-ductility Ti2AlNb alloy is fabricated by hot rolling the compact prepared by spark plasma sintering. The microstructure and tensile properties of the rolled sheets were controlled by changing the thickness reduction and rolling pass. Results show that rolling causes grain growth, larger thickness reduction results in pronounced grain coarseness. Rolling cannot cause recrystallization but reheating can. Higher thickness reduction results into higher recrystallization ratio, which decreases with increasing the reheating times. All sheets have tensile strengths higher than 980 MPa with elongation higher than 9%. The multiple rolling process causes the increase in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength but decrease in elongation (EL). The maximum UTS of 1048.1 MPa is obtained after two rolling passes with 42% thickness reduction per pass. The maximum EL of 12.6% is obtained after reheating the single pass rolled sheet with 30% thickness reduction. All the sheets present ductile fracture mode.

Electrochemical dissolution behavior of cast and forged Ti2AlNb alloys in NaCl and NaNO3 electrolytes

Although Ti2AlNb alloy has numerous exceptional properties that make it one of the most promising materials in the aerospace field, it also presents significant challenges to traditional machining. Nevertheless, electrochemical machining (ECM) presents distinctive advantages when it comes to processing difficult-to-cut materials. Regrettably, the electrochemical dissolution behavior of Ti2AlNb alloy has not been reported yet. In this study, the electrochemical dissolution behavior of forged and cast Ti2AlNb alloys in 10% NaCl and 20% NaNO3 electrolytes was systematically studied for the first time. In the same electrolyte composition, the passivation film formed on the forged Ti2AlNb alloy surface is thicker than that on the cast Ti2AlNb alloy surface, indicating higher corrosion resistance. Dissolution experiments were conducted on cube and rotary samples, followed by the assessment of surface quality using laser confocal microscopy. The experimental findings demonstrate that ECM in 10% NaCl electrolyte yields better surface quality for both Ti2AlNb alloys. The Ti2AlNb alloy in this study consists of the B2 phase and O phase, with preferential dissolution of the O phase observed during ECM.

Impact of deposition pressure on the structural, nanomechanical, and tribological properties of δ-TaN coatings deposited via magnetron sputtering on Ti6Al7Nb alloy

In the present study, δ-TaN thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering (physical vapour deposition) on Ti6Al7Nb alloy by varying the deposition pressure (0.8–0.2 Pa). Their crystalline structure, chemical composition, surface roughness, and surface morphology were investigated by using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning probe microscope, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively. Structural analysis results confirmed the deposition of cubic δ-TaN thin films along the (111) basal plane; moreover, spherical dome-like surface morphology was observed by FESEM. Further, to analyze the nanomechanical properties of the deposited δ-TaN coatings, such as hardness (H) and modulus (E), scratch tests were performed utilizing the nanomechanical system. Moreover, friction and wear properties of the coating and bare sample (substrate) were investigated on nano-tribometer equipment using a rotary ball-on-disk type configuration. The stainless steel (SS-316) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) balls were used as the counter materials for the tribological tests. The observations of nanomechanical tests revealed that H (GPa), E (GPa), and H/E ratio values increased from 11.83 to 28.30 GPa, 176.02 to 248.45 GPa, and 0.06 to 0.11, respectively, with the decrease of the deposition pressure. In the scratch test, the highest critical load (cohesion failure) was found for δ-TaN coating deposited at the lowest deposition pressure (0.2 Pa). Tribological results of δ-TaN coatings demonstrated average coefficient of friction (COF) value ranges between 0.066–0.092 and 0.072–0.029 against steel and Si3N4 balls, respectively. The wear rate values were observed to vary from 8.15 × 10−5 to 7.56 × 10−6 and from 1.77 × 10−3 to 8.99 × 10−6 against steel and Si3N4 balls, respectively. Generally, the average COF and wear rate decreased against 316 SS and Si3N4 balls as the deposition pressure of coatings decreased. However, the coating deposited at 0.8 and 0.6 Pa against Si3N4 ball showed early delamination of the coating, resulting in the sudden fluctuation in COF plots and higher wear rate in the range of 10−3 mm3/N.m.

Electroplasticity mechanism of Ti2AlNb alloys under hot compression with the application of a lower electric current

In this study, a lower electric current (1.0–2.0 A/mm2) was applied during hot compression of Ti2AlNb alloys, and the mechanical response, microstructure evolution, and electroplasticity mechanism were investigated. The results showed that the maximum flow stress drop could reach 18.7 % after applying a lower electric current of 2.0 A/mm2, which confirms the existence of electroplasticity. The stress drop increased with increasing electric current density. However, the flow stresses of the samples in the isothermal compression test and those subjected to a 1.0 A/mm2 electric current compression test were similar, indicating that there is a threshold value for the electroplasticity effect on flow stress. The lower strain hardening rate caused by the electric current confirmed the electroplasticity effect, promoting the softening effect. Additionally, the lower average activation energy Q, affected by the electric current, implied the improvement of the deformability of the alloy due to the deformation mechanism of dynamic recovery (DRV), dynamic globularization, or dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The gradual reduction of dislocation density with increasing electric current density resulted in the stress drop, which can be ascribed to the directional drifting electrons colliding with dislocations, which promoted the movement of dislocations by arranging the dislocations in parallel. The local high temperature induced by the local Joule heating effect at the O lamella had a strong promoting effect on the globularization of the O lamella by producing uniform lattice distortion/local strain at the O/B2 interface. With increasing furnace temperature, the drifting electrons accelerated the transformation of LAGBs to HAGBs which promoted the appearance of dynamic recrystallization grains.

Effect of peak stress and dwell time on the fatigue damage behavior of Ti-22Al-23Nb-2(Mo, Zr) alloy with lamellar microstructure

Ti2AlNb alloy is one of the candidate high strength titanium alloy materials under consideration for compressor disc, which will endure dwell loading at high peak stress level during service. In this work, low cycle fatigue (LCF) and low cycle dwell fatigue (LCDF) deformation behaviors and damage mechanism of Ti2AlNb alloy with lamellar microstructure under high loading level were investigated. The results show that fatigue life is highly dependent on the peak stress (σpeak) and dwell time (tdwell). With increasing the σpeak, the LCF life decreases gradually since higher loading stress can accelerate plastic strain accumulation and lead to faster crack propagation. When at the same σpeak, the LCDF life is lower than the LCF life due to greater plastic strain accumulation caused by dwell effect, indicating a dwell life debit of the Ti2AlNb alloy. Moreover, dwell fatigue sensitivity exhibits an increasing trend as the tdwell increases. Under different loading waveforms, the fractography shows remarkably different features. Crack source of LCF appears on sample surface, while crack source of LCDF appears on surface and sub-surface of sample. The research of LCDF behavior is relevant to aviation industry to prevent premature failure of rotating components made of Ti2AlNb alloys.

Microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism of pulsed current diffusion bonding TiAl/Ti2AlNb joints with in-situ rapid hot deformation

With the development of aero-engine toward high thrust-to-weight ratio, improving the strength of TiAl/Ti2AlNb joint has attracted considerable attention, as it is the key to manufacturing TiAl-Ti2AlNb composite turbine that combines high temperature resistance and weight reduction. However, the TiAl/Ti2AlNb diffusion bonded joint that is currently receiving the most attention is limited in strength by brittle interface structure and interfacial residual stresses, which cannot meet application requirements. In this study, a novel strategy of employing strong pulsed current to promote diffusion bonding of TiAl/Ti2AlNb joints and in-situ rapid hot deformation treatment was applied to improve this situation. This result shows that TiAl and Ti2AlNb alloys can be efficiently joined by pulsed current diffusion bonding (PCDB) with parameters of 950 ℃/10 min/10 MPa, the shear strength of the joint was 258.3 MPa. The subsequent in-situ rapid hot deformation treatment significantly strengthened the TiAl/Ti2AlNb joint, resulting in a shear strength of 443 MPa, which was 171.1 % of the pre-deformation strength. The formation of nanograined microstructure and precipitates acicular O phases after hot deformation-induced phase transformation of the diffusion bonding layers (DBLs) were the main strengthening mechanisms for the deformed joint. The large number of subgrain boundaries and the high dislocation density formed in the DBLs further increase the strength in this region. This study verified an effective of pulsed current diffusion bonding TiAl/Ti2AlNb joint with in-situ rapid hot deformation strengthening, providing a new strategy for obtaining high-strength dissimilar Ti-Al intermetallics joints.

The effect of RF sputtering power on structural, nanomechanical and tribological properties of single layered TaN coatings

Single-layered TaN thin coatings were deposited on Ti6Al7Nb alloy substrates using reactive radiofrequency magnetron sputtering, with variations in target power. To assess the crystalline structure, chemical composition, and surface topography of these coatings, Grazing Incidence x-ray Diffraction (GIXRD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) were employed, respectively. The study revealed that deposition power impacts the structure and composition of TaN coatings. Further analysis using x-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that the TaN coatings predominantly consisted of Ta and N, with trace amounts of oxygen (O 1s). Additionally, nanomechanical testing was conducted to evaluate hardness (H), modulus (E), and scratch properties. Results suggested that multiphase hex-TaN coatings exhibited superior H, E, and scratch properties compared to other cubic-structured TaN coatings. Friction and wear properties against steel balls under dry sliding conditions were determined using a ball-on-disk nanotribometer. The findings showed that mix-phase TaN coating exhibited a minimum coefficient of friction of 0.054 and a wear rate of 2.14 × 10−6 mm3/N.m. Abrasion, ploughing and oxidation were identified as the primary wear mechanism responsible for the wear of the TaN coatings.

Multiscale microstructural consideration for high strength diffusion bonding of Ti2AlNb alloy to GH4169 superalloy with (TiZrHfNb)95Al5 interlayer

A high entropy interlayer (TiZrHfNb)95Al5 was successfully designed for vacuum diffusion bonding of GH4169 superalloy to Ti2AlNb alloy. The relationships between grain size, grain boundary, lattice mismatch and microhardness, elastic modulus, shear strength and fracture behaviors were revealed. The typical microstructure was Ti2AlNb/B2/Solid solution/(Ti, Zr, Hf)2(Ni, Nb)+(Ti, Zr, Hf)(Ni, Nb) + Solid solution/(Ti, Zr, Hf)(Ni, Nb) + (Cr, Ni, Fe)ss/(Cr, Ni, Fe)ss/Cr-rich(Cr, Ni, Fe)ss/Ni-rich(Cr, Ni, Fe)ss/GH4169. With the holding time increased, the shear strength overall increased and decreased sharply, and the highest shear strength reached 384 MPa at 980 °C for 90 min. The microstructure had anisotropic crystal orientation, and the joints of Zone Ш for 90 min consisted of 92.08 % HAGBs and 7.92 % LAGBs. The residual strains and stresses decreased when the holding time increased. Meanwhile, recrystallisation appeared in Zone Ш, and the increase in the recrystallisation rate led to grain refinement. The lattice mismatch between (Ti, Zr, Hf)(Ni, Nb) and (Cr, Ni, Fe)ss phases was 25.05 %, indicating that the interface was non-coherent, and (Ti, Zr, Hf)(Ni, Nb)+(Cr, Ni, Fe)ss phases were located at an elastic modulus dramatically changed interface. Thus, the cracks easily formed in this interface and led to joint fracture. Moreover, the fracture mechanism was brittle fracture.

The effect of nitrogen on the tensile strength of Ti–22Al–25Nb alloy using laser beam powder bed fusion

Titanium-aluminum (TiAl) based alloys have a wide application prospect in aerospace and auto-industry fields due to low density, good physical and mechanical performances. However, the mechanical strength of TiAl-based alloys is also put forward more stringent requirements with the complexity of the application conditions. In this work, an argon-nitrogen (Ar–N2) reactive atmosphere was designed to achieve nitrogen interstitial solid-solution strengthening of Ti–22Al–25Nb alloy during the laser beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) process. An in-depth microstructure and mechanical performance analysis for the as-printed sample under various atmosphere conditions were performed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The nitrogen atoms can be dissolved in the octahedral gap of the β phase through the PBF-LB in the Ar–N2 atmosphere, and a small amount of nitride was detected when the volume ratio of Ar to N2 was 95:5. Compared with 100 vol% Ar atmosphere condition, finer grains of the β phase can be obtained after using the mixed gas atmosphere, and the ratio of the O phase was significantly reduced. The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength can be increased from 932 MPa to 947 MPa–1080 MPa and 1099 MPa at room temperature, respectively. At the same time, the elongation reaches ∼11 % while obtaining higher tensile strength. The strength of as-printed Ti–22Al–25Nb alloy was improved by adopting a practical methodology without sacrificing plasticity.

Effects of PVD CrAlN/(CrAlB)N/CrAlN Coating on Pin–Disc Friction Properties of Ti2AlNb Alloys Compared to WC/Co Carbide at Evaluated Temperatures

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings could affect the friction performance at the contact interface between Ti2AlNb alloy parts and tool couples. Suitable coating types could improve the friction properties of Ti2AlNb alloy while in contact with WC/Co carbide. In this study, the linear reciprocating pin–disc friction tests between the Ti2AlNb alloy and the WC/Co carbide tool couple, with the sole variation of the PVD CrAlN/(CrAlB)N/CrAlN coating were conducted within the temperature range of 25–600 °C. The antifriction properties of the Ti2AlNb alloy were estimated using the time-varied friction coefficients, the alloy wear rate, worn surface topography, worn surface element, and wear mechanism analysis. The results showed that the PVD CrAlN/(CrAlB)N/CrAlN coating could decrease the average friction coefficient and alloy wear rate compared to the uncoated WC/Co carbide couple. The apparent adhesive wear and abrasive wear of the Ti2AlNb alloy could be improved due to the PVD coating at evaluated temperatures. The PVD CrAlN/(CrAlB)N/CrAlN coating could be utilized to improve the antifriction properties of the Ti2AlNb alloy, which may be deposited on the cutting tool to improve the machining performance of Ti2AlNb alloys in future aerospace machining industry.

Enhanced fracture toughness of Ti2AlNb/Ti6Al4V layered metal composite

Drawing inspiration from the intricacies of nacre structure, Ti2AlNb/Ti6Al4V layered metal composite was fabricated by vacuum hot pressing and achieved high fracture toughness. The fracture toughness of the composite registers at 48.5 MPa∙m1/2, surpassing the theoretical fracture toughness calculated based on the rule of mixture (ROM) and exhibiting 54 % improvement compared toTi2AlNb alloy. The introduction of a layered configuration imparts complex crack propagation pathways to the composite. The occurrences of crack deflection, crack bridging, crack passivation, and interface delamination serve to increase the resistance to crack propagation. Moreover, the plastic deformation of the ductile Ti6Al4V layer and the large plastic zone size of the crack tip can release the stress concentration and delay the fracture of the composite. This understanding not only advances our comprehension of the toughening mechanisms but also has practical implications for the application and development of layered Ti2AlNb alloys.