Tensile Properties of Electrochemically Hydrogenated As-Built, Hot Isostatic Pressed and Heat-Treated Electron Beam Melted Ti-6Al-4V Alloys

doi:10.1007/s40195-025-01899-x

Abstract

Abstract:

Only a few studies have reported the effects of electrochemical hydrogenation on the tensile mechanical properties of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy, in all of them the alloy was processed by laser powder-bed fusion. Furthermore, the effects of either hot isostatic pressing (HIP) or heat treatment (HT) post-treatments on the mechanical properties were not reported. Here, the Young’s modulus, ultimate tensile stress, and uniform (homogeneous) strain of as-built electron beam melted (EBM) Ti-6Al-4V alloys were studied using small tensile specimens before and after electrochemical hydrogenation, as well as before and after secondary processes of HIP at 920 °C and HT at 1000 °C. The tensile properties of all hydrogenated alloys were significantly degraded compared to their non-hydrogenated counterparts. The yield stress could not be determined for all hydrogenated alloys, as failure occurred at a strain below 0.2% offset. The uniform strain of the hydrogenated alloys was less than 1%, compared to 1%-5% for the non-hydrogenated alloys. The fracture mode of the hydrogenated alloys after HIP and HT revealed cleavage fracture, indicating increased brittleness. In the as-built hydrogenated alloy, the fracture mode varied with location: brittle fracture occurred near the surface due to the formation of a hydride layer, while a more ductile fracture with dimples was observed below this layer.

Key words: Additive manufacturing (AM), Ti-6Al-4V, Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Heat treatment (HT), Hot isostatic pressing (HIP), Hydrogen embrittlement (HE), Small tensile specimen, Tensile properties

Noa Lulu-Bitton, Nissim U. Navi, Noam Eliaz. Tensile Properties of Electrochemically Hydrogenated As-Built, Hot Isostatic Pressed and Heat-Treated Electron Beam Melted Ti-6Al-4V Alloys[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2025, 38(10): 1711-1718.

Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1 a Schematic illustration of the extraction of tensile specimens. b Tensile specimen geometry (all dimensions in mm). c Schematic illustration of the EC cell. d Schematic marking of locations for microstructure and fractography characterization

Fig. 2 SEM secondary electron (SE) images of non-hydrogenated and hydrogenated as-built a, d, HIPed b, e, and HT c, f alloys

Fig. 3 Tensile stress-strain curves of non-hydrogenated and EC hydrogenated EBM Ti-6Al-4V alloys in the: a as-built, b HIPed, and c HT conditions

Table 1 Average mechanical properties of both non-hydrogenated and EC EBM Ti-6Al-4V alloys

Condition	E (GPa)	s_YS (MPa)	s_UTS (MPa)	e_u (%)
As-built	117.1 ± 1.9	946.3 ± 4.2	995.3 ± 32.9	5.23 ± 2.66
HIP	119.8 ± 3.4	864.9 ± 2.4	949.9 ± 6	6.84 ± 0.33
HT	117.7 ± 5.2	779.4 ± 1.0	829.3 ± 38.0	1.12 ± 0.04
As-built + H	113.6 ± 1.8	N/A	820.0 ± 36.0	0.87 ± 0.04
HIP + H	116.3 ± 5.4	N/A	625.6 ± 93.1	0.65 ± 0.14
HT + H	114.4 ± 3.6	N/A	519.4 ± 132.2	0.49 ± 0.17
ASTM F2924 PBF	-	≥ 825	≥ 895

Fig. 4 SEM (SE) fractography images of non-hydrogenated and hydrogenated as-built a, d, HIPed b, e, and HT c, f alloys

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