The effect of heat treatment on mechanical properties of pulsed Nd:YAG welded thin Ti6Al4V

Yu Fan, Philip H Shipway, Geoff D. Tansley, Jie Xu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Pulsed Nd:YAG has been adopted successfully in welding process of thin (0.7 mm) Ti6Al4V. Laser welding of such thin sheet requires a small focal spot, good laser beam quality and fast travel speed, since too much heat generation can cause distortion for thin sheet weld. The microstructures of Ti6Al4V were complex and strongly affected the mechanical properties. These structures include: a´ martensite, metastable ß, Widmanstätten, bimodal, lamellar and equiaxed microstructure. Bimodal and Widmanstätten structures exhibit a good-balance between strength and ductility. The microstructure of pulsed Nd:YAG welded Ti6Al4V was primarily a´ martensite, which showed the lowest ductility but not significantly high strength. A heat treatment at 950 followed by furnace cooling can transform the microstructure in the weld from a´ martensite structure into Widmanstätten structure.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3672-3677
Number of pages6
JournalAdvanced Materials Research
Volume189-193
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

Keywords

  • heat treatment
  • pulsed Nd
  • YAG laser welding
  • thin
  • Ti6-Al-4V

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