Papers by Keyword: Powder Compact Forging

Abstract: Powder compact forging in combination with induction sintering, a field assisted sintering technique (FAST), was used to produce commercially pure (CP) Ti and Ti-13V-11Cr-3Al parts. Green powder compacts with high relative density were manufactured by cold compaction and warm compaction, respectively. During the powder compact forging process, CP titanium powder was consolidated completely to produce a near net shaped top cover for a diving helmet with full density and good mechanical properties. Also, a Ti-13V-11Cr-3Al alloy was fully consolidated into a cylinder using blended elemental powders. As a comparison, raw titanium powder with different oxygen contents was used to make a Ti-13V-11Cr-3Al powder compact forging. Using a starting powder with low oxygen content, a forged cylinder with good mechanical properties was produced.

Abstract: Both open die and closed die powder compact forging can be used for the consolidation of Ti and pre-alloyed Ti 6Al 4V powders produced by a hydride-dehydride (HDH) process. The approach used is initial cold or warm compaction into cylindrical shapes, or into a specific pre-form shape appropriate for achieving a particular final forged shape. The economic benefit is near net-shape processing with minimum machining required after forging. Manufacturing costs are also minimised by forging a compact, with a sufficiently high enough density, in air, without a protective atmosphere. The challenge, from a manufacturing point of view, is the operation of a manufacturing route which gives rapid and qualified compaction to meet production demands and batch sintering to achieve a high enough density prior to final forging to shape. In addition to this the final product has to have the right level of mechanical properties. This paper reviews some key findings from powder compact production, through to sintering and forging. These will be presented in terms of alpha-beta phase distribution in the microstructure, the degree of porosity, heat treatment and their effects on mechanical properties.

Abstract: Ti-6Al-4V rocker arms for internal combustion engines were produced by forging of compacts of blended powder consisting of elemental hydride-dehydride (HDH) titanium powder and Al60V40 (wt%) master alloy powder or mechanical alloyed (MA) powder synthesized by high energy mechanical milling of a mixture of HDH titanium and Al60V40 master alloy powders. The powder compacts were made by warm compaction, and their relative density was 90%. The mechanical properties and microstructures of as-forged parts made using blended powder were improved significantly with increasing holding time at forging temperature, and close to those of as-forged parts produced by powder compact forging of HDH Ti-6Al-4V pre-alloyed powder. However, the as-forged part produced by powder compact forging of MA powder was brittle, and fractured prematurely during tensile testing.

Abstract: Ultrafine grained Al-4wt%Cu-(2.5-10) vol.% SiC metal matrix composite powders were produced from a mixture of Al, Cu and SiC powders using high energy mechanical milling (HEMM). The composite powders produced were first hot pressed at 300°C with a pressure of 240 MPa to produce cylindrical powder compacts with a relative density in the range of 80-94% which decreased with increasing the SiC volume fraction. Powder compact forging was utilized to consolidate the powder compacts into nearly fully dense forged disks. With increasing the volume fraction of SiC from 2.5% to 10%, the average microhardness of the forged disks increased from 73HV to 162HV. The fracture strength of the forged disks increased from 225 to 412 MPa with increasing the volume fraction of SiC particles from 2.5 to 10%. The Al-4wt%Cu-2.5vol.%SiC forged disk did not show any macroscopic plastic yielding, while the Al-4wt%Cu-(7.5 and 10)vol.% SiC forged disk showed macroscopic plastic yielding with a small plastic strain to fracture (~1%).

Abstract: Powder compact forging was used to produce bulk consolidated titanium and Ti-6Al-4V (wt %) and Ti-47Al-2Cr (at%) alloy disks from hydrogenated and dehydrogenated (HDH) and gas atomised powders (GA) powders (in the case of titanium and Ti-6Al-4V) and a mechanically milled powder (in the case of Ti-47Al-2Cr alloy). The bulk titanium and Ti-6Al-4V (wt %) alloy have been produced by forging of the powder compacts. The Ti-47Al-2Cr (at %) alloy was produced using canned powder compact forging of a Ti/Al/Cr composite powder. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the deformation and fracture behaviour of the bulk consolidated as-forged materials, by conducting tensile testing at room temperature (RT) and examination of the fractured specimens which had near-α, α + β and  phase structures, respectively. It was found that as-forged bulk titanium disk produced using HDH powder showed a yield point with a yield strength of ~700 MPa and with a considerable amount of ductility. While the as-forged Ti-6Al-4V (wt %) alloy produced using HDH powder, fractured prematurely without any yielding. On the other hand yielding was observed in the as-forged Ti-6Al-4V (wt %) alloy produced using GA powder, showing a yield strength of ~970 MPa and a considerable amount of plastic strain to fracture. The bulk consolidated Ti-47Al-2Cr (at %) alloy also fractured prematurely with fracture strength of ~125 MPa. The mechanical behaviour of the as-forged bulk materials was found to be dependent on several factors such as initial powders used, green density of the powder compact, forging parameters used during forging. It was expected that the entrapped gas in green compacts, absorbed oxygen, porosity and inter-particle bonding play an important role on the quality of the as-forged material, which in turn affected the mechanical behaviour of the bulk material.

Abstract: Nanostructured Cu-(2.5 and 5)vol.%Al2O3 composite powders were produced from a mixture of Cu powder and Al2O3 nanopowder using high energy mechanical milling, and then compacted by hot pressing. The Cu and Cu-Al2O3 composite powder compacts were then forged into disks at temperatures in the range of 500-800°C to consolidate the Cu and Cu-Al2O3 composite powders. Tensile testing of the specimens cut from the forged disks showed that the Cu forged disk had a good ductility (plastic strain to fracture: ~15%) and high yield strength of 320 MPa, and the Cu-(2.5 and 5)vol.%Al2O3 composite forged disks had a high fracture strength in range of 530-600 MPa, but low ductility.

Abstract: Consolidation of titanium and titanium alloy powders using thermomechanical powder metallurgy (TPM) processes (powder compact forging, extrusion and rolling) is one way that can lead to cost-effective production of high value-added consolidated titanium and titanium alloy products such as near-net shaped components, tubes and plates. This paper provides an overview of the quality, microstructure (to limited depth), porosity level and mechanical properties of disks produced using open die forging of powder compacts of CP titanium and Ti-6Al-4V alloy powders. The general materials science principles underlying the relationships between processing conditions, microstructure and the mechanical properties of the disks made by using the powder compact forging are discussed.

Abstract: The present study aims to develop a process to make ultrafine grained (UFG) Ti-47Al-2Cr (at %) alloy using elemental Ti, Al and Cr powders. The process involves mechanical milling of a mixture of the elemental powders to produce a Ti/Al/Cr composite powder, compaction of the milled powder, and consolidation of the powder compact using hot isostatic pressing (HIP) or powder compact forging. This paper is to give an overview of microstructure and the mechanical properties of the alloy samples obtained using the above processing technique. Inhomogeneous microstructures with high amounts of (α2) Ti3Al phase, along with, elemental Ti, were observed in some samples. An attempt has been made to explain the formation of (α2) Ti3Al, and elemental Ti, in the alloy and the processing conditions appropriate for the specific alloy are also discussed.