Selected aspects of manufacturing structural elements from titanium alloys combining cost-effective powder metallurgy technology and metal forming processes

Abstract

Titanium alloys are mainly used in the automotive, aviation, shipbuilding and military industries. Their main advantages are low specific gravity, resistance to cracking and corrosion, high strength as well as fatigue strength. The most important disadvantages of titanium alloys include low thermal conductivity, difficulties in their machining and high cost of manufacturing. For the latter reason, titanium alloys are primarily used for the manufacturing of highly responsible components, such as implants and aviation structures, while the remaining products are produced in limited series. In the appropriate conditions, many titanium alloys can be formed in hot working processes. At present, in the processes of manufacturing structural elements of titanium alloys, semi-finished products obtained by the casting method are commonly used. However, more and more research is being carried out on the use of powder metallurgy based material in this field. This approach opens up the possibility of decreasing production costs. As initial material, the alloy powders or mixtures of elemental powders can be used. The properties of alloy powder products are usually high and stable, however, the cost of powder production is high. Obtaining a product from titanium alloys based on a powders mixture is relatively simple and significantly cheaper. The disproportion of prices causes, that a great number of research projects realized in recent years in the field of implementation of powder metallurgy for manufacturing titanium-based products is directed towards the use of powder mixtures since this approach gives real chances for the successful implementation of costeffective titanium alloys processing technology.