The Effect of Grain Size on Superplastic Deformation of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Abstract

In this study, superplastic tensile tests were carried out for Ti-6Al-4V alloy using different initial grain sizes (2.6 μm, 6.5μm and 16.2 μm) at a temperature of 920°C with an initial strain rate of 1×10-3 s-1. To get an insight into the effect of grain size on the superplastic deformation mechanisms, the microstructures of deformed alloy were investigated by using an optical microscope and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results indicate that there is dramatic difference in the superplastic deformation mode of fine and coarse grained Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Meanwhile, grain growth induced by superplastic deformation has also been clearly observed during deformation process, and the grain growth model including the static and strain induced part during superplastic deformation was utilized to analyze the data of Ti-6Al-4V alloy.