Tetsuya Matsunaga

Abstract The near-α Ti–6Al–4Zr–4Nb (wt pct) alloy is a recently developed alloy with potential for aerospace applications. This study evaluates the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4Zr–4Nb produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The SPS samples sintered in the α + β regions exhibited equiaxed α with a neighboring thin β phase. Above the β-transus temperature, the α/β lamellar structure formed, allowing control of the grain size (100 ~ 200 μm). The compressive strength and the creep property of the SPS samples were compared with the LBPDed and the forged samples. The compressive strength of the SPS sample was lower than that of the LPBFed sample but similar to the forged sample. The SPS samples exhibited longer creep rupture life (2220 hours) than LPBFed samples (1730 hours), but shorter than the forged sample (4109 hours). The creep deformation mechanism of the lamellar structure in the SPS sample was dislocation creep.

Powder bed fusion using a laser beam (PBF-LB) was performed for Ti6Al4Nb4Zr (mass%) developed by our group to improve the oxidation resistance at temperatures greater than 600°C by adding Nb and Zr to near-α alloys. Microstructure evolution of the PBF-LB samples by heat treatment was investigated, especially for heat treatment duration in the α + β phase, cooling rate, and heat treatment in the β phase. The equiaxed α phase formed during heat treatment along the melting-pool boundaries. The high volume fraction of the α phase and high Nb contents in the β phase was obtained by slow cooling (furnace cooling) compared with fast cooling (air cooling). The α/β lamellar structure formed in the melting pool boundaries with 100μm in size and no equiaxed α phase formed along the boundaries by heat treatment in the β phase regime. Creep life at 600°C and 137 MPa was similar for the air-cooled and furnace-cooled samples, but the slightly slower deformation was obtained in the furnace-cooled sample. Creep life of the sample in the β phase region drastically increased due to the absence of the equiaxed α phase. Dominant deformation mechanism of creep was grain boundary sliding. The small equiaxed α phase accelerated grain boundary sliding.