Mechanical behaviour and superplastic forming capabilities of extra-low interstitial grade Ti-6Al-4V wire alloy with numerical verification

Abstract

In this paper, the behaviour of extra-low interstitial (ELI) grade Ti-6Al-4V wire alloy has been extensively studied at varying strain rates in the range of 10^-5-10² s^-1 at temperatures ranging between 750 °C and 1050 °C using processing maps and experimental data to determine the material's mechanical and superplastic forming capabilities. From the slope of a log plot of strain rate versus flow stress, the strain-rate sensitivity index, m, was determined. A plot of m versus the log of strain rate was produced in order to identify the key strain rates in which ELI grade Ti-6Al-4V exhibits its superplastic regime. It was determined that this alloy is most sensitive to superplastic forming within a narrow strain-rate band of 10^-4-10^-3 s^-1 and has a maximum strain-rate sensitivity index, m = 0.45. At strain rates below and above this range, the material exhibited negligible levels of superplasticity. The key temperature for superplastic forming was determined to be 950 °C. The effect of temperature on flow stress and flow stability was analysed using the Zener-Holloman parameter. The experimentally determined results showed excellent agreement with Guo and Ridley's activation mathematical model.