Effect of B on the microstructure and mechanical properties of mechanically milled TiAl alloys

The present study is concerned with gamma-(Ti52Al48)(100-x)B-x (x = 0, 0.5, 2, 5) alloys produced by mechanical milling/vacuum hot pressing (VHPing) using melt-extracted powders. Microstructure of the as-vacuum hot pressed (VHPed) alloys exhibits a duplex equiaxed microstructure of alpha(2) and gamma with a mean grain size of 200 nm. Besides alpha(2) and gamma phases, binary and 0.5 pet B alloys contain Ti,AIN and Al2O3 phases located along the grain boundaries and show appreciable coarsening in grain and dispersoid sizes during annealing treatment at 1300 degrees C for 5 hours. On the other hand, 2 pet B and 5 pet B alloys contain fine boride particles within the gamma grains and shaw minimal coarsening during annealing. Room-temperature compressing tests of the as-VHPed alloys show low ductility, but very high yield strength > 2100 MPa. After annealing treatment, mechanically milled alloys show much higher yield strength than conventional powder metallurgy and ingot metallurgy processed alloys, with equivalent ductility to ingot metallurgy processed alloys. The 5 pet B alloy with the smallest grain size shows higher yield strength than binary alloy up to the test temperature of 700 degrees C. At 850 degrees C, 5 pet B alloy shows much lower strength than the binary alloy, indicating that the deformation of fine 5 pet B alloy is dominated by the grain boundary sliding mechanism.