Mechanical evaluation of linear friction welds in titanium alloys through indentation experiments

This article shows the results of a project that focuses on the characterization of the weld interface region of dissimilar joints between titanium alloys for aeronautical applications, specifically Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo with Ti-6Al-4V, and Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo with Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo. The uniaxial flow stress and hardening response of the material containing the weld were analyzed following the finite elements simulations and mathematical formulations to correlate hardness and the amount of pile-up and sinking-in phenomena around sharp indenters with uniaxial mechanical properties. This allows to accurately stablishing the influence that welding process has on the mechanical response of the parts. Tests performed on these friction-welded specimens showed that the fine grained microstructures in the welds exhibited better properties than the base materials. (Author) 12 refs