Joint effect of β-eutectoid content and heat treatment on the properties of binary Ti-Cu and Ti-Mn alloys

The use of cheap alloying elements and alternative manufacturing techniques are two strategies that can be used to reduce the high cost of Ti alloys. Furthermore, heat treatments are an easy and cost effective method to tailor the mechanical behaviour by means of the modification of the microstructure. For that, this work analysed the quenching and aging heat treatment of binary Ti -Cu and Ti-Mn alloys manufactured via powder metallurgy. It is found that the post -processing solution treatment does not significantly affect the physical properties and residual porosity remains unchanged within the microstructure; however, the heat treatment changes the microconstituents. Serrated martensitic transformed beta is formed in quenched Ti -Cu alloys and it is converted into a coarse lamellar or a hypoeutectoid structure as the Cu content increases with the subsequent aging treatment. Aging of the Ti-Mn alloys slightly coarsen the microstructural features where martensite or equiaxed metastable beta grains are obtained after quenching. Enhancing of the mechanical behaviour is generally achieved and the solution treatment switches from improving the ductility to increasing the strength and the hardness as the amount of the alloying element increases.