Manufacture-friendly nanostructured metals stabilized by dual-phase honeycomb shell

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgy
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Nanostructured metals offer enhanced strength but face challenges in manufacturing and stability.
• Existing methods for producing nanostructured metals are often complex and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile and scalable manufacturing strategy for nanostructured titanium alloys.
• To improve the strength and microstructural stability of titanium alloys for engineering applications.

Main Methods:

• A novel "Eutectoid element alloying→ Quenching→ Hot deformation" (EQD) strategy was employed.
• The EQD strategy was applied to produce a Ti6Al4V5Cu alloy with nanoscale α-Ti grains.
• The microstructural stability and mechanical properties of the alloy were evaluated.

Main Results:

• The EQD strategy enabled mass production of Ti6Al4V5Cu alloy with an average α-Ti grain size of 95 nm.
• A "dual-phase honeycomb shell" (DPHS) structure formed, stabilizing the nanostructure up to 973 K.
• Achieved room temperature tensile strength of 1.52 GPa (60% higher than Ti6Al4V) with retained ductility.
• Demonstrated exceptional tensile elongation exceeding 1000% at 923 K.

Conclusions:

• The EQD strategy provides a manufacture-friendly pathway for producing high-performance nanostructured metals.
• The developed nanostructured Ti6Al4V5Cu alloy exhibits superior strength and thermal stability.
• This approach has significant potential for broader application in other alloy systems.