Microstructure and Texture of Thin-Walled Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Seamless Tubing Manufactured by Cold-Rotary Swaging

The effects of cumulative deformation on the microstructure and texture of tubes were studied by preparing Ti-6Al-4V tubing by cold-rotary swaging (RS) with cross-sectional area deformation (epsilon) of 27%, 37%, 42%, and 51%. The grains of the tubing samples were obviously refined with increasing cold deformation. Orientation distribution function (ODF) cuts revealed that the maximum density level of the raw material was 4.51, with density reaching 6.68, 7.80, 8.66, and 10.17 for epsilon of 27%, 37%, 42%, and 51%, corresponding to increases of 48%, 73%, 92%, and 125%, respectively. Moreover, the tilt angle of the maximum density level of all the rotary-swaged tubes was less than 45 degrees. It is thus feasible to use cold-rotary swaging to produce thin-walled Ti-6Al-4V seamless tubing with grain refinement and radial texture.