Combustion Behavior and Microstructure of TC17 Titanium Alloy under Oxygen-Enriched Atmosphere

Abstract

TC17 titanium alloy is widely used in the aerospace industry, but its combustion behavior and microstructure after combustion are rarely investigated. Herein, the ignition critical oxygen pressure, combustion velocity, and microstructure after the combustion of TC17 titanium alloy were investigated by promoted ignition combustion tests under an oxygen-enriched environment. The results indicated that there were three stages, ignition, splash, and flame propagation, for the combustion process of the TC17 alloy. As compared to TC11 titanium alloy, the TC17 titanium alloy exhibited a similar ignition critical oxygen pressure with the same size, but an obviously faster burning rate, which followed a power law relationship with the oxygen pressure. The segregation of Cr, Mo, and Al was observed in the interdendritic phase of the melting zone and the interface between the melting zone and the heat-affected zone. The segregation of Cr at the liquid/solid interface can be responsible for accelerating the burning kinetic of the TC17 alloy by decreasing the interfacial temperature.