Alloy Design of Ti Alloys Using Ubiquitous Alloying Elements and Characteristics of Their Levitation-Melted Alloys

Abstract

The α+β type Ti-5.5Al-2Fe and β type Ti-2.5Fe-2Mn-2Zr alloys have been theoretically designed, for the modification of Ti-6Al-4V and the achievement of the high tensile strength more than 1000 MPa at the solution treatment state, respectively, using ubiquitous alloying elements in order to establish the strategic method for suppressing utilization of rare metals. The utilization of the cold crucible levitation melting (CCLM) is very useful for the production of ingots, because titanium is very chemically reactive at high temperature. The experimental alloys with high purity and without contaminations from a crucible were prepared, and the homogeneous melt was also achieved by the diffusion mixing effect of CCLM. The microstructure, phase stability, strength, corrosion-resistance and workable properties of the design Ti-5.5Al-2Fe alloy, were comparable to those of Ti-6Al-4V. In contrast, the solution heat treated Ti-2.5Fe-2Mn-2Zr alloy showed the tensile strength of 1200 MPa, and the 1.3 times increase in the specific strength compared with Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al. The alloy design can be successfully carried out even using ubiquitous alloying elements by the d-electrons concept, which leads to the establishment of one method for the strategic utilization of rare metals.