Manufacturing Technology Today

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Effect of Constricted Arc Welding on Tensile Properties of Thin Sheets of Aero Engine Grade Titanium Alloy


Affiliations
1 Centre for Materials Joining & Research (CEMAJOR), Dept. of Mfg. Engg., Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamilnadu, India
2 Materials Group (MTG) Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Titanium and its alloys have been considered as one of the best engineering materials for aero-engine applications, because they possess many good characteristics such as high specific strength, superior corrosion resistance and good high temperature strength. Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) welding process is generally preferred because to repair aero-engine blades of its high versatility and easy applicability. Gas Tungsten Constricted Arc welding (GTCAW) is a new variant of GTAW process. It generates very high frequency (20 kHz) and alters the magnetic field of the arc, thus enabling the control of constriction of arc and leading to less heat input, narrow heat affected zone (HAZ), reduced residual stresses and distortion compared to conventional GTAW process. This paper reports the tensile properties of GTA and GTCA welded thin sheets (1.2 mm) of Ti-6Al-4V alloy used in aero-engine applications. The joints were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and microhardness survey. From this investigation, it is found that GTCAW joints exhibited superior tensile properties compared to GTAW joints due to reduction of prior beta grain boundary, higher fusion zone hardness and narrow heat affected zone. Hence, it is preferred that GTCAW process can be employed to repair aero-engine components over GTAW process.

Keywords

Titanium Alloy, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Constricted Arc Welding, Tensile Properties, Microstructure.
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • G. Lutjering and J. C. Williams: ‘Titanium’, 177–232; 2003, Berlin, Springer-Verlag.

  • R.R. Boyer An overview on the use of titanium in the aerospace industry: ’Material Science and Engineering A’ Vol.213, 1996, 103–114

  • Wang, RR, Welsch, GE: Joining titanium materials with tungsten inert gas welding, laser welding and infrared brazing, ‘J Prosthet Dent’, Vol - 74(5), 1995, 521–530

  • Malinov S, Sha W Application of artificial neural networks for modeling correlations in titanium alloy, ’Material Science and Engineering A’ Vol-365, 2004, 202–211

  • Yunlian Qi, Deng Ju, Quan Hong, Liying Zeng: Electron beam welding, laser beam welding and gas tungsten arc welding of titanium sheet, ‘Materials Science and Engineering A’, Vol-280, 2000, 177–181

  • S.H. Wang, M.S. Wei: Tensile properties of gas tungsten arc weldments in CP, Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-15V-3Al-3Sn-3Cr alloys at different strain rates, ‘Science and Technology of Welding and Joining’, Vol- 9, 2004, 415-422

  • Becker DW, Adams CM Jr: The role of pulsed GTA welding variables in solidification and grain refinement, ‘Weld research supplement’, 1979, 143–152

  • Ram, G.D.J., Mitra, T.K., Shankar, V., Sundaresan, S: Microstructural refinement through inoculation of type 7020 Al–Zn–Mg alloy welds and its effect on hot cracking and tensile properties, ‘Journal of materials processing technology’, Vol- 142, 2003, 174–181

  • Rao, K.P., Angamuthu, K., Bala Srinivasan: Fracture toughness of electron beam welded Ti-6Al-4V, ‘Journal of materials processing technology’, Vol-199, 2008, 185–192

  • Sundaresan S, Janaki Ram GD, Madhusudhan Reddy ,G: Microstructural refinement of weld fusion zones in alpha–beta titanium alloy using pulsed current welding, ’Material Science and Engineering A’, Vol-262, 1999, 88–100

  • Prasad Rao ,K: Fusion zone grain refinement in GTA welds using magnetic arc oscillation and current pulsing. RAMP; 2001, 176–196

  • Shinoda T, Ueno Y, Masumoto I: Effect of pulsed welding current on solidification cracking in austenitic stainless steel weldsjournal of the japan welding society’, vol-7, 1989, 245-249

  • Madhusudhan Reddy G, Gokhale AA, Prasad Rao K: Optimization of pulse frequency in pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding of Al–lithium alloysteels, ‘material science and technology’, Vol- 14, 1998, 61–66

  • Simpson, RP: Refinement of weld fusion zones in alpha-beta titanium alloys, ‘Weld Journal’ 1977, 56–67

  • Kishore BN, Ganesh SRS, Mythili R: Correlation of microstructure with mechanical properties of TIG weldments of Ti-6Al-4V made with and without current pulsing, ‘Materials Characterization’, Vol- 58, 2007, 581–587

  • Naveen Kumar P, Bhaskar Y, Mastanaiah P: Study on dissimilar metals welding of 15CDV6 and SAE 4130 steels by Inter pulse gas tungsten arc welding, ‘Procedia materials Science’ Vol-5, 2014, 2382-2391

  • Leary R, Merson E, Birmingham,K: Microstructural and microtextural analysis of InterPulse GTCAW welds in Cp-Ti and Ti–6Al–4V, ‘Materials Science Engineering A’, Vol- 527, 2010, 7694-7705.

  • V. Vaithiyanathan, V. Balasubramanian, S. Malarvizhi: Identification of Optimized Gas Tungsten Constricted Arc Welding Parameters to attain Minimum Fusion Zone Area in Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheets used in Aero Engine Components, ‘Journal of Advanced Microscopy Research’, Vol-13, 2018, 354-362


Abstract Views: 277

PDF Views: 0




  • Effect of Constricted Arc Welding on Tensile Properties of Thin Sheets of Aero Engine Grade Titanium Alloy

Abstract Views: 277  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

V. Vaithiyanathan
Centre for Materials Joining & Research (CEMAJOR), Dept. of Mfg. Engg., Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamilnadu, India
V. Balasubramanian
Centre for Materials Joining & Research (CEMAJOR), Dept. of Mfg. Engg., Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamilnadu, India
S. Malarvizhi
Centre for Materials Joining & Research (CEMAJOR), Dept. of Mfg. Engg., Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamilnadu, India
Vijay Petley
Materials Group (MTG) Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru, India
Shweta Verma
Materials Group (MTG) Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru, India

Abstract


Titanium and its alloys have been considered as one of the best engineering materials for aero-engine applications, because they possess many good characteristics such as high specific strength, superior corrosion resistance and good high temperature strength. Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) welding process is generally preferred because to repair aero-engine blades of its high versatility and easy applicability. Gas Tungsten Constricted Arc welding (GTCAW) is a new variant of GTAW process. It generates very high frequency (20 kHz) and alters the magnetic field of the arc, thus enabling the control of constriction of arc and leading to less heat input, narrow heat affected zone (HAZ), reduced residual stresses and distortion compared to conventional GTAW process. This paper reports the tensile properties of GTA and GTCA welded thin sheets (1.2 mm) of Ti-6Al-4V alloy used in aero-engine applications. The joints were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and microhardness survey. From this investigation, it is found that GTCAW joints exhibited superior tensile properties compared to GTAW joints due to reduction of prior beta grain boundary, higher fusion zone hardness and narrow heat affected zone. Hence, it is preferred that GTCAW process can be employed to repair aero-engine components over GTAW process.

Keywords


Titanium Alloy, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, Gas Tungsten Constricted Arc Welding, Tensile Properties, Microstructure.

References