Microstructural Investigations of the White and Deformed Layers Close to the Turned Surface of Ti-6Al-4V

In the aircraft industry, along with geometrical and dimensional integrity, the surface integrity of manufactured parts is a necessity. In fact, severe anomalies generated during machining may have a substantial impact on the lifetime of the parts. Nevertheless, these anomalies are not well known in terms of microstructures such as the white layer in titanium alloys. Based on this observation, the present paper deals with microstructural investigations performed on Ti-6Al-4V white and deformed layers generated during turning with a round uncoated carbide insert. The aim of this study is to characterize these anomalies in terms of microstructure and phases. In particular, this study provides a better understanding of metallurgical transformations in the sublayer of machined surfaces through qualitative models.