Material characterization of superplastically formed titanium (Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo) sheet

The aerospace industry has focused considerable interest on the near-alpha titanium alloy Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo (Ti-6242) because of both its high-temperature properties and its superplastic forming (SPF) capabilities. This paper describes current research to characterize selected mechanical properties of Ti-6242 sheet in the SPF-strained condition, both with and without heat treatment, and compares the results with those obtained on as-received material. Tensile and creep tests were conducted, and metallographic analysis was performed to show the effect of 100 to 700 percent SPF strain on titanium properties. Analysis shows that as a result of SPF processing, both tensile and yield strengths, as well as elongation, are moderately reduced. Creep tests at 800 F and 1000 F show that the SPF processed material displays superior creep resistance compared with the as-received material. A post-SPF duplex-anneal heat treatment had no beneficial effect on tensile and creep properties.