Effect of Pre- and Post-weld Heat Treatments on Linear Friction Welded Ti-5553

Linear friction welding allows solid-state joining of near-beta (β) titanium alloy Ti-5553 (Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr). In the as-welded condition, the weld zone (WZ) exhibits β grain refinement and marked softening as compared with Ti-5553 in the solution heat treated and aged condition. The softening of the weldment is attributed to the depletion of the strengthening alpha (α) phase in the WZ and the adjacent thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ). Specifically, in near-β titanium alloys, the strength of the material mainly depends on the shape, size, distribution, and fraction of the primary α and other decomposition products of the β phase. Hence, a combination of pre- and post-weld heat treatments were applied to determine the conditions that allow mitigating the α phase depletion in the WZ and TMAZ of the welds. The mechanical response of the welded samples to the heat treatments was determined by performing microhardness measurements and tensile testing at room temperature with an automated 3D deformation measurement system. It was found that though the joint efficiency in the as-welded condition was high (96 pct), strain localization and failure occurred in the TMAZ. The application of post-weld solution heat treatment with aging was effective in restoring α, increasing the joint efficiency (97 to 99 pct) and inducing strain localization and failure in the parent material region.