Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Pulsed Laser Beam Welded Ti-2Al-1.5Mn Titanium Alloy Joints

The microstructure and mechanical properties in the pulsed laser beam welded joints of Ti-2Al-1.5Mn titanium alloy thin sheet were investigated in this study. The results show that the original α + β-phases and the transformed α + α′-phases are found in the partially transformed heat-affected zone (HAZ) together with the remaining β-phase, and the microhardness gradually enhances in the region as the result of the increase of α′-phase. The martensitic α′-phase and the remaining β-phase are detected in the fully transformed HAZ and the fusion zone (FZ), and the highest microhardness is found in these regions in virtue of the dominant α′-phase structure. The fine α′-phase appeared in the FZ results in higher average microhardness at high welding speed. Moreover, similar to the results of microhardness test, the tensile test results mean that the HAZ and FZ are stronger than the base metal (BM). Therefore, pulsed laser beam welding is feasible for joining thin sheet of Ti-2Al-1.5Mn titanium alloy.