Effects Of Heat Treatment On The Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Titanium Alloys

Titanium and titanium alloys are suitable for a variety of applications, with their low density, high strength and high corrosion resistance. Despite strong mechanical and corrosive qualities, titanium use is restricted by its weak friction and wear characteristics. Titanium alloys are more popular than pure titanium due to their strength and wear properties. Grade 5 titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) is most widely used titanium alloy. It meets the requirements on mechanical and tribological properties. In this study, Ti-Cr-Co alloy materials with different compositions were heat treated at 1050oC for 1 hour and then cooled in water and air. All samples were aged at 550oC for 3 hours to improve the mechanical properties of the materials. Heat treated and untreated specimens were characterized by means of optical microscope, scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examinations and hardness measurements. Before the heat treatment hardness of the sample which was initially 567 HV increased approximately three times via thermal treatment.