Effect of laser welding on microstructure and mechanical properties of biomedical Ti6Al4V

Ti6Al4V titanium alloys are usually used in chemical industry and biomedical sectors as an implant material. In this study, the effect of laser welding on mechanical and microstructural behavior of biomedical Ti6Al4V sheets with different welding speeds was investigated in detailed. The mechanical properties of laser welded joints are investigated by tensile test and hardness measurements. Fracture morphologies and microstructure evaluations are also investigated. It was found that the laser-welded joints have lower tensile strength and elongation as compared to the base metal. The maximum tensile strength was obtained at 250 cm/min welding speed for laser welded joints. The metallographic investigation revealed that weld metal decorated by coarser acicular α′ martensite microstructure within the finer prior-β grains and grain boundary α at higher welding speeds.