Tailoring Mechanical Properties of Extruded Ti-6Al-4V Alloy from the Blended Elemental Route via Microstructure Control
Vacuum-sintered billets of Ti-6Al-4V alloy from powder blend were extruded at two different temperatures: 1150 °C and 950 °C. The extruded material at 1150 °C was subjected to various heat treatments to obtain different microstructures: annealing in the β phase, β solution treatment and aging and α+β solution treatment and aging. The materials processed were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and the mechanical properties were measured by tensile test. The microstructure of both extrusions are fairly similar, consisting of lamellar colonies, and the mechanical properties are also comparable, with yield strengths of about 1000 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of about 1100 MPa and elongation at fracture of 8-9%. The β annealing treatment, through coarsening the lamellar microstructure, reduces the strength of the alloy while keeping a high ductility. Both solution treatments and aging, which produces aged martensite and aged martensite and primary alpha, respectively, increases the strength and reduces the ductility. There is a trade-off between ductility and strength when it comes to tailoring the microstructure, and the as-extruded Ti-6Al-4V condition is the one with the best balance between strength and ductility.