Ti Alloys

Good creep strength.

Excellent biocompatibility.
Ti−6Al−5Zr−0.5Mo
−0.25Si (IMI 685)

IMI 834 (Ti–

5.8Al–4Sn–3.5Zr–
0.5Mo–0.7Nb–
0.35Si)
Annealing treatments
• α−β titanium alloys can acquire various microstructures by
annealing treatments.
• The major purposes are to increase fracture toughness, ductility
at room temperature, dimensional and thermal stability, creep
resistance, or fatigue strength.
β-Annealing:
• Heating the alloy into the β phase field for an isothermal hold,
followed by furnace or air cooling, or water quenching for thick
sections to avoid the formation of coarse GB α phase.
• β-Annealed α−β alloys show reduced ductility and tensile
strengths but improved fracture toughness.
 Figure 7.16 β-annealed Ti−6Al−4V. (A) Lamellar α−β with GB α, cooled at 0.42°C s−1
from 1100°C × 10 min. (B) Cooled from the β phase field at more than 1°C s−1 (estimated)
showing a basket-weave α−β microstructure.
Mill annealing
• The isothermal hold is typically carried out in the range 700−800°C
for Ti−6Al−4V for 1−4 h, followed by air cooling.
• Mill annealing is an incomplete annealing treatment and the
purpose is to retain the wrought-state microstructure, which
consists of elongated α phase and irregular β phase particles for
desired strength properties.
Recrystallization annealing
• Similar to β-annealing, this treatment serves primarily to improve
fracture toughness.
• The alloy is usually heated into the upper end of the α+β field for
an isothermal hold up to 2 h, followed by furnace cooling.
• For Ti−6Al−4V, it is annealed at 955°C for 2 h.
• The resulting α and β phases are both essentially dislocation free,
which gives the name recrystallization annealing.
• Recrystallization annealing leads to a bimodal microstructure.
Duplex annealing
• Duplex annealing schedule for Ti−6Al−4V includes 870−950°C for
0.2−1.0 h, air cooling, and 680−730°C for 2−4 h, air cooling again.
• The first anneal serves to control the α phase fraction and
morphology, while the second anneal allows precipitation of
acicular secondary α phase in the metastable β phase.
• Duplex annealing also produces a bimodal microstructure, which
offers improved fracture toughness and creep resistance.
Figure Bimodal (primary α and
lamellar α−β) Ti−6Al−4V. (A)
Recrystallization annealing:
heated to 950°C at 0.05°C s−1, held
for 20 min, and cooled at 0.9°C s−1
to room temperature. (B) Duplex
annealing: 925°C × 1 h, fan air-
cooled, and 700°C × 2 h, air-
cooled.
Effect of cooling rate on phase transformations in Ti−6Al−4V
Figure Comparative scatter bands for results of
fatigue tests on annealed Ti−6Al−4V
products fabricated by different processes
Shape-memory titanium alloys
• Shape-memory alloys are a unique class of material with the
ability to ‘remember’ their shape after being plastically
deformed.
• The most effective and common shape-memory alloy is nickel–
titanium, where the titanium content is 45–50%.
• Nickel–titanium alloys that are commercially available are
traded under the brand-name ‘Nitinol.
• Shape-memory effect is possible because a phase change or, in
other words, a change to the crystal structure occurs in the
material with the application of stress and heat.