Materials Science Forum, Vol.357-3, 539-544, 2001
Grain refinement and superplasticity of reaction sintered TIC dispersed Ti alloy composites using hydrogenation treatment
The purpose of this study is to develop TiC dispersed Ti-6Al-4V alloy composites with useful mechanical properties by using reaction sintered fine TiC dispersion technique in the powder metallurgy method and the hydrogenation treatment due to grain refinement of matrix material. Mo2C and Ti-6Al-4V prealloyed powder were mechanically blended in a high energy ball mil. The mixed powder was pressed into dies and consolidated by reaction sintering following HIP treatment. The dispersed particles Mo2C produced reactive TiC in the matrix during sintering. In grain refining treatments, hydrogenation, hot roll forming and heat treatment to cause fine dispersed Ti hydride precipitation, and dehydrogenation process were introduced. The result of this fabrication process for controlled grain refinement demonstrate the following: 1) The microstructure of dehydrogenated and recrystallized specimen indicated very fine grain size, less than 3 mu m in diameter. Then, the reacted TiC particles became smaller by hot roll forming after hydrogenation. 2) In Ti-6Al-4V ahoy composite with 3vol% Mo2C, tensile strength and elongation at room temperature were increased more than 14% in comparison with those of non-hydrogenation. 3) Wear resistance of the developed composite had the tendency to increase as blended Mo2C content increased and its superplasticity was confirmed.