Dynamic Recrystallization Constitutive Model and Texture Evolution of Metastable β Titanium Alloy TB8 during Thermal Deformation

Abstract

The mechanical properties of metastable β-titanium alloys are highly susceptible during the thermal mechanical processing (TMP). In this process, the recrystallization process plays an important role in determining the microstructure and texture evolution. The implementation of dynamic recrystallization (DRX), a process for achieving β-grain refinement, is considered of great significance for the improvement of the properties of metastable β-titanium alloys and their industrial production. Along these lines, in this work, an isothermal compression test of TB8 titanium alloy was carried out by using a Gleeble-3500 thermal simulator. As a result, the rheological stress behavior was analyzed, the thermal processing map was accurately established based on the stress–strain curve, and the optimal processing interval was determined. The DRX kinetic and the DRX grain size models were developed, on the basis of which a new DRX intrinsic model was established to improve the material parameters. Therefore, the actual situation in the working process could be better predicted. The microstructural evolution of TB8 titanium alloy during thermal deformation was comprehensively investigated using the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. The obtained results demonstrate a close correlation between the diversity of DRX mechanisms in TB8 alloy and the distribution of dislocation density. Four microstructural textures during thermal deformation were identified, in which the cube texture of (001) <010> and the R-Gorss Nd texture of (110) <110> dominate. Due to the random orientation of the dynamically recrystallized grains, the strength of the R-Gorss Nd texture of (110) <110> increases with the increase in the volume fraction of DRX. On the contrary, it was verified that the dynamic recrystallization behavior has a significant weakening impact on the cube texture of (001) <010>.