Papers by Author: Heng Lei Qu

Abstract: As the concept of aerospace design is changed, research objectives of titanium alloys also changed from high strength to high damage tolerance. High strength, high toughness titanium alloys with damage-tolerance have been investigated under the support of a national project since 2003. TC21 titanium alloy is the first Chinese-developed high strength, high toughness and damage-tolerance titanium alloy. The mechanical property of TC21 alloy is sensitive to solution temperature and aging temperature. The rods of TC21 alloy with the diameter of 20mm and 90mm possess good mechanical properties after solution at 900°C followed by aging at 600°C.

Abstract: The recent shift in the design focus for aeroplanes from strength to damage tolerance has led to a subsequent shift in the focus of Ti alloy research. China first started to research Ti alloys with damage tolerance from the year 2000. The first product stemming from this research is a Ti alloy with high strength, high toughness and damage tolerance (TC21). TC21 exhibits high strength (UTS  1100MPa), high fracture toughness (K1c  70MPa.m1/2) and a low crack propagation rate (da/dN being similar to Ti-6-4 with  annealing). Another Ti alloy, named TC4-DT, has also been produced. It has moderate strength, along with high toughness and damage tolerance (UTS  900MPa, K1c  70MPa.m1/2, da/dN being similar to Ti-6-4 with  annealing). Both TC21 and TC4-DT are now undergoing rapid development, with the former alloy also being applied to a full scale aeronautical application. Both TC21 and TC4-DT have promising futures in the industry. They will be the main Ti alloys with damage tolerance utilised in the Chinese market.

Abstract: The superplastic tensile deformation behavior and structural evolution of two kinds of α+β titanium alloys were investigated in this paper, one is a new high strength high toughness Ti alloy with damage tolerance called TC21, and the other is a new superplastic Ti alloy so called Ti-SP2500. The results indicated that TC21 alloy has good superplasticity at the temperature from 720
to 960
and with the strain rate of 5.510-5s-1∼1.110-2s-1. On the optimal superplastic condition, the maximum elongation is over 1300%. During the superplastic tensile deformation, the dynamic recrystallization occurs in deformation zone of the specimens and the superplasticity is improved. Ti-SP2500 alloy has good superplasticity at the temperature from 720°C to 800°C and with the strain rate of 6.67 10-4s-1∼1.1110-2s-1. The maximum elongation for Ti-SP2500 alloy will exceed 2200% at 780°C with the strain rate of 5.5610-3s-1. Its superplastic deformation mechanism is controlled by grain boundary sliding, and the grain deformation and dislocation creep has the coordinating action.