POWDER METALLURGY TiAl ALLOYS: MICROSTRUCTURES AND PROPERTIES

The microstructures and properties of powder metallurgy TiAl alloys fabricated by hot extrusion of gas-atomized powder at different elevated temperatures were investigated. Microstructure of the alloy fabricated at 1150 C consisted of a mixture of fine ({gamma} + {alpha}{sub 2}) equiaxed grains and coarse ordered B2 grains. Particles of ordered hexagonal {omega} phase were also observed in some B2 grains. The alloy containing B2 grains displayed a low-temperature superplastic behavior: a tensile elongation of 310% was measured when the alloy was tested at 800 C under a strain rate of 2 x 10{sup -5} s{sup -1}. Microstructure of the alloy fabricated at 1250 C consisted of a mixture of fine ({gamma} + {alpha}{sub 2}) equiaxed grains, coarse {alpha}{sub 2} grains, and lamellar ({gamma} + {alpha}{sub 2}) colonies. An observation of stacking faults associated with fine {gamma} lamellae in {alpha}{sub 2} grains reveals that the stacking fault of {alpha}{sub 2} phase plays an important role in the formation of lamellar ({gamma} + {alpha}{sub 2}) colonies. Unlike the alloy fabricated at 1150{sup o}, the alloy fabricated at 1250{sup o} displayed no low-temperature superplasticity, but a tensile elongation of 260% at 1000 C was measured. Microstructure of the alloy fabricated at 1400 Cmore » consisted of fully lamellar ({gamma} + {alpha}{sub 2}) colonies with the colony size ranging between 50 {micro}m and 100 {micro}m, in which the width of {gamma} lamella is in a range between 100 nm and 350 nm, and the width of {alpha}{sub 2} lamella is in a range between 10 nm and 50 nm. Creep behavior of the ultrafine lamellar alloy and the effects of alloying addition on the creep resistance of the fully lamellar alloy are also investigated.« less