Effect of cryogenic treatment on the wear resistance and microstructure of Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract

Titanium and its alloys exhibit a unique combination of mechanical, physical and corrosion resistance properties, which have led to their desirable response for critical and demanding aerospace, industrial, chemical, medical and energy industry services. Poor wear resistance is the major drawback of titanium alloys that restrict its usage in many of the potential applications especially in biomedical implants. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to improve the wear resistance of the most widely used titanium alloy, i.e., Ti-6Al-4V through cryogenic treatment. Experimental results clearly indicate that deep cryogenic treatment improves the wear resistance which can be attributed largely to grain refinement. The findings have been further strengthened through microstructure investigations based on optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Improvement in other mechanical properties like hardness,tensile strength and plasticity has also been investigated.