Direct Powder Roll Compaction of α- β Titanium Alloys with Al, V, and Fe

Abstract

Compared to other metals, titanium has good corrosion and oxidation resistance, strength-weight ratio, and retains strength at relatively high temperatures. Despite being an excellent engineering material, its cost of production using the traditional methods is prohibitive. This work explores direct powder rolling (DPR) as an alternative production method for two titanium alloys with target compositions of Ti 6Al-4V and Ti-5Al-2.5Fe, using low-cost Ti powder. Grain size, composition, and oxygen content were determined to be the most influential factors in determining the mechanical properties of the strip which negatively impacted the ability to conclusively compare effects of the rolling path variations. DPR was used to create near full density strips with tensile and hardness properties comparable to the wrought Ti-6Al-4V counterparts cold rolled via the same roll path. With further development, DPR has the potential to produce titanium strip while being more cost effective and less energy intensive than the current methods.