Tribological response and microstructure evolution of electron beam powder bed fusion additively manufactured Ti–6Al–2Sn–4Zr–2Mo alloy
摘要
Ti–6Al–2Sn–4Zr–2Mo (Ti-6242), a near-α titanium alloy, is a promising alloy for applications where thermal stability and wear resistance are crucial. Tribological response of Ti-6242 is strongly influenced by the fabrication method and heat treatment. This study explores the combined effects of additive manufacturing and heat treatment (960–1050 °C) on the wear characteristics of Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (EB-PBF) Additively Manufactured Ti-6242. SEM images and XRD patterns indicated that heat treatment below Tβ resulted in the coarsening of α laths and the formation of the β phase. Conversely, heat treatment above Tβ led to equiaxed β grains. The hardness of the as-built, sub-transus, and super-transus samples was measured to be 416 ± 15 HV, 341 ± 10 HV, and 372 ± 10 HV, respectively. Wear results showed that, among the as-built and heat-treated samples, the one heat-treated at 960 °C exhibited the best wear performance. SEM analysis revealed that abrasive wear was the dominant mechanism in the as-built sample, whereas the wear mechanisms in the heat-treated samples were significantly influenced by microstructural changes and the formation of the β phase.