Thixoforming of titanium: The microstructure and processability of semisolid Ti-Cu-Fe alloys

Abstract Thixoforming has been a cost-effective alternative to conventional manufacturing routes because of the advantages in dealing with semisolid alloys. In this study, the effect of the addition of Fe on the microstructure of three Ti-Cu alloys treated in the semisolid state was evaluated, and gear-like components were thixoformed to assess the conformability of the alloys. Microstructural characterization indicated that globules in the semisolid samples exhibited suitable characteristics for thixoforming purposes, whereas the added Fe helped retain the β phase at room temperature. The maximum force required to deform the samples during thixoforming was substantially low (approximately 20 N). The semisolid alloys completely filled the die, resulting in perfectly formed parts with considerably homogeneous and defect-free structure. Therefore, it was concluded that Ti-Cu-Fe alloys can be promising raw materials for semisolid processing.