Microstructure and Mechanical Properties Ultrasonic Assistance Laser Welded Joints of Beta Titanium Alloy with Multiple Vibrators

Abstract

Aiming at the problem of deterioration of the properties of beta titanium alloy welded joints due to many porosity defects and coarse grains, multi-vibrator ultrasonic-assisted laser welding (M—ULW) technology was used to improve the structure and properties of beta titanium alloy welded joints. The microstructure evolution, tensile strength, elongation, and fracture behavior of the weld joint were studied through scanning electron microscopy, electron back-scatter diffraction, and a universal testing machine. The results show that ultrasonic vibration has no effect on the phase composition of titanium alloy welds during ultrasonic-assisted laser welding. However, it caused all grains in the weld to be transformed into equiaxed grains, and the higher the amplitude, the finer and more uniformly distributed were the equiaxed grains. When the ultrasonic amplitude reached 20 μm, the fine equiaxed crystals were uniformly distributed throughout the weld, and the average grain size of the weld was 56.15 um, which is only one-third of that of the unultrasonicated laser welded joint. Ultrasonic refinement makes the joint grain size decrease, weakens the beta titanium alloy {200} direction weaving, increases the dislocation density within the weld; and increases the tensile strength of the welded joint. The tensile strength of the welded joints exceeded that of the base material by 907 MPa, and the elongation was significantly increased by a factor of 1.8 compared with that of the un-ultrasonicated laser welded joints, resulting in a shift of the fracture location from the center of the weld to the heat-affected zone.