An Investigation on Mechanical and Electrochemical Properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by Scheduling Heat-treatment in Pure β and α + β region

The present study investigates the effect of various heat treatments on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrochemical behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The heat treatment (HT) comprises of treating above and below beta transus temperature (Tβ) followed by aging at 650 ℃ for 2 h and furnace cooling. Results reveal that heat treatment temperature and cooling rate significantly modify the microstructure, mechanical, and electrochemical behaviour. Notably, the beta quenched and aged sample (HT-1) exhibited the highest tensile strength (1166 MPa) possibly due to the formation of αˈ martensite. On the other hand, the microstructure of the beta annealed and aged sample (HT-2) consists of Widmanstatten α/β phase. Conversely, the microstructure of the solution treated sample (HT-3) contains globular primary αP and acicular αˈ, which resulted in balanced mechanical properties (tensile strength of 1124 MPa and 18% elongation). Duplex annealed sample (HT-4) exhibits globular αP and Widmanstatten α/β phase. Furthermore, it is seen that the best corrosion resistance is observed during HT-1 condition. Research findings show crucial insights into tailoring the microstructure, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy through precise heat treatment.