β Grain Size Inhomogeneity of Large Scale Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr Alloy Bulk after Multi-Cycle and Multi-Axial Forging in α + β Field

Abstract

In order to fabricate homogeneous large-scale Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr (Ti-5553) alloy bulk with fine and equiaxial β grain, we performed a series of multi-axial α + β field forging with 62 forging cycles on the large-scale Ti-5553 billet by using 12.5 MN high-speed hydraulic press. The β-annealed microstructure was the starting microstructure of the billet. After the 6th forging cycle, β grain deformed dramatically, and the grain-boundary network developed within the irregular β grain. As the forging cycle increased to 44, the volume fraction of the fine and equiaxial β grain that is less than 20 μm, which is caused by dynamic recrystallization, increased gradually. However, the incomplete dynamic recrystallization region within the original β grain could not be eliminated. As the forging cycle further increased, the volume fraction of the fine and equiaxial β grain did not increase. In contrast, the abnormal grain growth of the β phase occurred during 50th~62nd forging cycle. Here, we attribute the formation of the incomplete dynamic recrystallization region and the abnormal grain growth of the β phase to the high deformation rate of the α + β forging. The refining behavior of β grain and the abnormal coursing β grain, which is found during the multi-cycle multi-axial forging of large-scale Ti-5553 alloy billet, are seldom reported in the isothermal compression of small-scale Ti-5553 alloy specimen. The findings of the paper are instructive for improving the sub-transus forging strategy that is used to fabricate the large-scale homogeneity Ti-5553 alloy billet with fine and equiaxial β grain.