Enhancing mechanical strength of Ti-6Al-4V sheet material by short-time sub-β-transus solution heat treatment and additional short-time annealing
Pfeffer N, Jäger SN, Kaiser MA, Meyer T, Stark A, Höppel HW (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
Journal
Book Volume: 926
Article Number: 147787
DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2025.147787
Abstract
In the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, bimodal α+α' microstructures characterized by high work-hardening capability and high ductility can be obtained by solution heat treatment just below the β-transus temperature followed by quenching. In literature it is indicated that additional short-time annealing can significantly enhance the material's strength. Based on these studies, this work aims to understand the influence of short-time solution heat treatment parameters and additional short-time annealing on the mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V sheet material, with a goal of evaluating the suitability of short-time heat treatments for implementation in processing techniques for sheet metal parts. A vertical furnace purged with Argon gas was employed to produce various materials states via short-time solution heat treatment and water quenching and additional short-time annealing. The solution heat treatment parameters were systematically varied as follows: (i) solution heat treatment temperature in the range of 875 °C–955 °C and (ii) solution heat treatment time in the range of 70 s–540 s. The effects of (i) and (ii) were investigated both without and with an additional short-time annealing at 570 °C for 180 s. Microstructural properties investigated by scanning electron microscopy combined with mechanical properties obtained by tensile and nanoindentation tests allow comprehensive evaluation of the different material conditions. It was observed that the application of an additional short-time annealing to the solution heat treated and quenched material resulted in a pronounced increase in strength, which was attributed to the hardening of the martensitically transformed prior β-grains, while maintaining moderate ductility. The solution heat treatment temperature is the crucial parameter influencing microstructure (e.g. phase fractions, interface characteristics, chemical phase composition) and, consequently, the deformation behavior within the solution heat treatment step. Increasing the solution heat treatment temperature resulted in higher strength and reduced ductility, allowing the mechanical properties to be tailored for specific future technological applications. In contrast, the solution heat treatment time in the range investigated did not have a substantial impact on mechanical properties.
Authors with CRIS profile
Nina Pfeffer
Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Allgemeine Werkstoffeigenschaften)
Heinz Werner Höppel
Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Allgemeine Werkstoffeigenschaften)
Involved external institutions
Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Pfeffer, N., Jäger, S.N., Kaiser, M.A., Meyer, T., Stark, A., & Höppel, H.W. (2025). Enhancing mechanical strength of Ti-6Al-4V sheet material by short-time sub-β-transus solution heat treatment and additional short-time annealing. Materials Science and Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing, 926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2025.147787
MLA:
Pfeffer, Nina, et al. "Enhancing mechanical strength of Ti-6Al-4V sheet material by short-time sub-β-transus solution heat treatment and additional short-time annealing." Materials Science and Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing 926 (2025).
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