In situ observation of deformation behavior of Ti6Al4V subjected to electrically-assisted forming process

Abstract The poor formability of Ti6Al4V can be effectively improved by the electrically-assisted forming process. However, the mechanism of the athermal effect on the mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V has not been clearly understood. In this paper, with the assistance of Shanghai synchrotron radiation source, the in-situ XRD experiments were carried out to explore the information of phase transition and dislocation evolution during room-temperature and electrically-assisted tensile processes. By analyzing the diffraction patterns, this paper found that the athermal effect caused by currents mainly reflected in two aspects. First, the pulsed current can effectively promote the phase transition process of Ti6Al4V by reducing the transition temperature and shortening the transition time. Second, currents can promote the activation of cylindrical slip system. Through the work of this paper, it is expected to have a deeper understanding of the mechanism of electroplasticity.