Deformation behaviors of Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloys with α/β lamellar structure were investigated systematically at different temperatures from room temperature to 950 ~C and different strain rates. Results reveal that when the deformation temperature is higher than a critical temperature of 600℃, an evident transition of deformation behavior from localized shear banding to α/β lamella kinking, flow softening and temperature/strain rate-dependent peak flow stress occurred in the alloy. The critical conditions for the occurrence of internal cracking and strain localization behavior associated with temperature and strain rate were determined.
Fatigue properties of the Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloy sheets containing different numbers of α/β Widmansttten colonies in the thickness direction of the sheets were investigated by tensionetension fatigue testing. It is found that fatigue properties of the Ti alloy either in low- or high-stress amplitude regimes become more sensitive to the sheet thickness of the Ti alloy as the sheet thickness is comparable to the length scale of the Widmansttten colonies. The basic mechanism of such length scale-sensitive fatigue properties in the Ti alloy was elucidated.
Fatigue cracking behavior from a notch was investigated at room temperature for Ti-6.SAI-3.5Mo-1.5Zr- 0.3Si （TClI） alloys with four different microstructures obtained at different cooling rates from the β transus temperature. It was found that the alloy with lamellar structures consisting of α/β lamellae or acicular α＇ martensite laths had a higher fatigue crack initiation threshold from the notch, while the bimodal structure with coarse a grain had a lower fatigue cracking resistance. The alloy with α/β lamellar structure showed a higher fatigue crack growth resistance. The length scales of the microstructures were characterized to correlate with fatigue cracking behavior. Fatigue cracking mechanism related to microstructures was discussed.
