Residual Strain Analysis in Linear Friction Welds of Similar and Dissimilar Titanium Alloys Using Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction

Residual strains in linear friction welds (LFW) of similar, Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) welded to Ti-6Al-4V, and dissimilar, Ti-6Al-4V welded to Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr (Ti5553), titanium alloys have been characterized using energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction. For each type of LFW, one sample was chosen in the as-welded (AW) condition and another sample was selected after a post-weld heat treatment (HT). In the present work, residual strains have been separately studied in the alpha and beta phases of the material, and five components (three axial and two shear) have been reported in each case. In-plane axial components of the residual strains show a smooth and symmetric behavior about the weld center for the Ti64-Ti64 LFW samples in the AW condition, whereas these components in the Ti64-Ti5553 LFW sample show a symmetric trend with jump discontinuities. Such jump discontinuities, observed in both the AW and HT conditions of the Ti64-Ti5553 samples, suggest different strain-free lattice parameters in the weld region and the parent material, whereas the results from the Ti64-Ti64 LFW samples in both AW and HT conditions suggest nearly uniform strain-free lattice parameters throughout the weld region. Finally, the observed trends in the in-plane axial residual strain components have been rationalized by the corresponding microstructural changes and variations across the weld region via backscatter electron (BSE) images.