Effect of heat treatment time on mechanical behavior of Ti-6Al-4V

The object of research: Ti-6Al-4V is a two-phase alloy characterized by an hcp (hexagonal close-packed) structure known as the α-phase and a bcc (body-centered cubic) structure known as the β-phase. At room temperature, this alloy primarily consists of the α-phase, but heat treatment can convert this dominant phase to the β-phase, especially at temperatures exceeding 800 °C. Investigated problem: The current study aims to investigate the effect of heat treatment time on the mechanical behavior of Ti-6Al-4V, particularly for short treatment durations. A total of 12 specimens were subjected to heat treatment for 10, 20, and 40 minutes at temperatures of 850 °C, 900 °C, 950 °C, and 1000 °C, followed by water quenching. The small punch test was then employed to assess the mechanical properties of the treated specimens. The main scientific results: The results indicated that at 850 °C and 900 °C, increasing the heat treatment time led to a slight enhancement in mechanical properties. Notably, when the specimens were heated at 950 °C for 10 minutes, a significant improvement in mechanical properties was observed. However, extending the heat treatment to 20 and 40 minutes at this temperature resulted in a deterioration of these properties. A similar detrimental effect was noted for all durations when the specimens were treated at 1000 °C. The area of practical use of the research results: According to this results heat treatment time is crucially important and components without a well heat treatment should not be used for industrial purposes. Innovative technological product: The study results are crucial for designers to optimize industrial component design. Utilizing these findings, various sensors can also be developed for numerous applications. Scope of the innovative technological product: This study is beneficial for mechanics, electronics engineers, and relevant companies.