Papers by Author: D. Hu

Abstract: Beta phase decomposition in Ti-44Al-4Nb-4Hf-0.1Si during continuous cooling from β phase field has been investigated. A wide cooling rate range (0.3-1000°Cs-1) was provided by mainly using Jominy end quenching, which has been introduced into TiAl research recently, together with iced brine quench (IBQ) and furnace cooling (FC). At different cooling rates beta phase decomposes via different paths through diffusion or diffusionless mechanisms and lamellar transformation may occur after β decomposition at certain cooling rates.

Abstract: Samples of Ti-15Cr and Ti-15V-3Sn-3Al-3Cr (wt%) containing controlled additions of carbon up to 0.2wt% and different oxygen contents have been quenched and aged at temperatures between 400 and 600°C. Optical, scanning and analytical transmission electron microscopy have been used to characterise the microstructures of the quenched and aged samples. Hardness testing has been used to follow the kinetics and extent of age hardening, which are accelerated in Ccontaining samples. The addition of carbon results in the formation of Ti(CxOy) precipitates which pin grain boundaries in forged samples so that the grain size in the quenched C-containing samples is about a factor of ten less than that in the C-free samples. In the C-free samples coarse grain boundary alpha tends to form, but in the C-containing samples alpha precipitation is more uniform throughout the beta grains. The extent of omega precipitation is very different in the two alloys; the Ti-15Cr alloy forms athermal omega in the as-quenched samples and large omega precipitates are formed on ageing at 400°C. No evidence for omega has been obtained in the Ti-15-3. The hardening responses and microstructural observations are interpreted in terms of the different grain boundary oxygen contents in the C-containing and C-free samples and the different roles of omega and of carbon in the two alloys.

Abstract: The IRC has carried out a major research programme over the last ten or so years aimed at developing the processing and optimisation of TiAl-based alloys. This work has covered melting, the production of shaped castings, powder processing and a range of thermomechanical processing routes in parallel with alloy development. In this paper the work aimed at understanding the factors that influence the properties of thermo-mechanically processed and cast samples of TiAl-based alloys will be reviewed. It is shown that the use of boron to control the grain size of castings leads to limited ductility in the stronger and more highly alloyed TiAl alloys because ribbon-like borides up to 200µm in length can be formed. It is also shown that although a fully lamellar microstructure offers a good balance of properties their plastic anisotropy leads to pre-yield fracture and to reduced fatigue life. It is clear that grain size control is essential if an acceptable balance of properties is to be obtained but that if casting is to be used grain refinement via boron addition is not totally satisfactory. A simple heat treatment can be used to refine the microstructure of cast boron-free alloys, which leads to ductility comparable with that in wrought samples and the associated convoluted microstructure should also eliminate pre-yield cracking.