Friction Stir Processing of Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Alloy: Structure Modification and Mechanical Properties

This work explores the possibility of using friction stir processing to harden the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy material produced by wire-feed electron beam additive manufacturing. For this purpose, thin-walled workpieces of titanium alloy with a height of 30 cm were printed and, after preparation, processed with an FSW-tool made of heat-resistant nickel-based superalloy ZhS6U according to four modes. Studies have shown that the material structure and properties are sensitive to changes in the tool loading force. In contrast, the additive material's processing direction, relative to the columnar grain growth direction, has no effect. It is shown that increasing the axial load leads to forming a ?�-transformed structure and deteriorates the material strength. At the same time, compared to the additive material, the ultimate tensile strength increase during friction stir processing can achieve 34-69%.

Automated summary

This study explores the possibility of using friction stir processing to improve the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy material produced by wire-feed electron beam additive manufacturing. The results show that the material's structure and properties are sensitive to changes in the tool loading force, while the processing direction has little effect. Increasing the axial load affects the material's structure and strength. Friction stir processing can significantly increase the ultimate tensile strength of the material.