Role of Material Thickness on Tensile Properties of Ti6Al4V Welds

Ti6Al4V being a workhorse material for aerospace systems with wide range of applications, it is welded in a large variety of thickness depending on the design requirements. Two types of welding processes are usually followed, namely electron beam welding (EBW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Weld parameters for Ti6Al4V alloy sheets and plates through EBW and GTAW have been established for different thickness (2, 8, 12 and 21 mm) and the weld properties were evaluated. Analysis of data revealed decrease in mechanical properties of the weld for a specific thickness compared to parent metal. Weld efficiency of GTA weld was found to be lower compared to EBW. Similarly, effect of thickness on weld properties was found to be more pronounced in the case of GTA welds. The effect of thickness on energy input and mechanical properties is also discussed in relation to the process adapted highlighting the values of 12 and 21 mm thick plates.