Techniques for Ti-6Al-4V Production by Powder Metallurgy

Titanium alloys parts are ideally suited for advanced systems because of their unique combination of high specific and corrosion resistance. Ti-6Al-4V is the most important titanium alloy and its application ranges from aerospace to surgical implants. Despite these attractive features, use of titanium alloys is limited by cost. The alloys processing by powder metallurgy ease the obtainment of parts with complex geometry and probably, cheaper. In this work, new routes of Ti-6Al-4V production by powder metallurgy are investigated. Samples were produced by mixing of initial metallic powders followed by uniaxial and cold isostatic pressing with subsequent densification by sintering between 900-1400°C, in vacuum. Sintered samples were characterized for phase composition, microstructure and microhardness by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Vickers indentation, respectively. Density was measured by Archimedes method. It was shown that the samples were sintered to high densities and presented homogeneous microstructure. Due the complete dissolution of the alloying elements in the titanium matrix, a good combination of microstructure, mechanical properties and densification could be reached.