Simulation investigation of thermal phase transformation and residual stress in single pulse EDM of Ti-6Al-4V

The thermal phase transformation and residual stress are ineluctable in the electrical discharge machining (EDM) process, and they will greatly affect the working performances of the machined surface. This paper presents a simulation study on the thermal phase transformation and residual stress in single-pulse EDM of Ti-6Al-4V, which is the most popular titanium alloy in fields such as aircraft engine and some other leading industries. A multi-physics model including thermal, hydraulic, metallography and structural mechanics was developed. Based on the proposed model, the thickness and metallographic structure of the recast layer and heat affected layer (HAZ) were investigated. The distribution and characteristics of residual stress around the discharge crater were obtained. The recast layer and HAZ at the center of crater are found to be the thinnest, and their thicknesses gradually increase approaching the periphery of the crater. The recast layer undergoes a complete alpha' (martensitic) transformation, while the HAZ is mainly composed by the alpha + ss + alpha' three-phase microstructure. Along the depth direction of crater, the Von Mises stress increases first and then decreases, reaching its maximal value near the interface of recast layer and HAZ. In the recast layer, both compressive stress component and tensile stress component are observed. ANOVA results showed that the influence of discharge current on maximal tensile stress is more significant than that of pulse duration, while the pulse duration has more significant influence on average thickness of the recast layer and the depth location of the maximal tensile stress. The works conducted in this study will help to evaluate the quality and integrity of EDMed surface, especially when the non-destructive testing is difficult to achieve.