On the effect of the microstructure on the dynamic behaviour of Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract

Aerospace components in jet engines need to outstand extreme conditions of high-temperatures and loads. Moreover, these components can sometimes undergo dynamic conditions if impact occurs during the flight. It is critical to understand the behaviour of aerospace alloys under these combined extreme conditions of high-temperature and dynamics loads. One of the most extended alloys used in the compressor and fan stages of commercial jet engines is Ti-6Al4V. The dynamic properties of Ti-6Al-4V are strongly dependent on the microstructure state and the temperature conditions. However, these dependencies are yet not fully understood. Moreover, this alloy can present a wide variety of microstructures depending on the component and manufacturing methods. In this work, we compare the response of five typical Ti-6Al-4V microstructures tested under static and dynamic conditions and different temperatures. The macroscopic response of the alloy is rationalised on the basis of its microstructural state using combined microscopy characterisation and computational modelling. To this end, computational plastic models are constructed and validated against experimental observations. In this way, the relationship between the mechanical properties of each microstructure and the temperature and strain rate conditions can be extracted to optimize the material state under specific dynamics in-service conditions.