Machinability of c-TiAl: A review

Owing to its outstanding mechanical properties, y-TiAl is desirable materials for crossgeneration aero-engines. Nearly 70 years of exploration have made it into the initial application. However, the intrinsic brittleness of y-TiAl is still a critical obstacle to its large-scale applications. In this context, researchers have made many attempts to study the machinability of y-TiAl. At present, existing relevant reviews have mostly discussed the processing methods of y-TiAl. Hence, there is still a lack of a perspective on material properties to analyze the cutting mechanism. Herein, this paper provides the systematic review of such perspectives. Above all, the developmental process, phase transformation, and microstructural evolution of y-TiAl are discussed, as well as its deformation mechanism at quasi-static. These topics can provide a materials science foundation for the machining of y-TiAl. And then, the review focuses on the cutting mechanism and surface integrity of y-TiAl. Moreover, special attention is paid to the microscope deformation mechanism and surface defects evolution of y-TiAl during cutting. Finally, the review indicates that the highperformance machining technology of y-TiAl faces challenges and proposes potential future research directions. Solving the difficulties during machining y-TiAl aero-engine components will accelerate the development of new aero-engines.& COPY; 2023 Production and hosting by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Due to its outstanding mechanical properties, y-TiAl is considered an ideal material for cross-generation aero-engines. However, its intrinsic brittleness remains a critical obstacle to its large-scale applications. This paper provides a systematic review of the material properties and cutting mechanism of y-TiAl, discussing its developmental process, phase transformation, microstructural evolution, and deformation mechanism. It also emphasizes the cutting mechanism, surface integrity, and potential research directions for high-performance machining technology of y-TiAl.