Titanium alloy with improved properties

A ballistic titanium alloy consisting of, in weight %, 6.0 to 6.7 aluminum, 1.4 to 2.0 vanadium, 1.4 to 2.0 molybdenum, 0.20 to 0.35 silicon, 0.18 to 0.23 oxygen, 0.16 to 0.24 iron, 0.02 to 0.06 carbon and the balance titanium together with any incidental impurities having UTS of at least 160 ksi, a tensile yield strength of at least 145 ksi, an elongation of at least 10%, a V50 ballistic limit that is at least 60 feet per second greater than a base V50 ballistic limit measured for a T-64 alloy when a 0.616 inch thick plate is tested against a 12.7 mm diameter steel fragment simulating projectile,

• wherein a tensile specimen of the ballistic titanium alloy has a reduction of area (RA) of at least about 25% of an original cross-sectional area of the tensile specimen after fracture when evaluated using an ASTM E8 standard, and
• wherein the ballistic titanium alloy is manufactured by
• a) performing an initial melting step;
• b) conducting a final melt step by vacuum arc remelting;
• c) performing an intermediate forging above or below beta transus;
• d) performing a final forging and rolling the alloy at a temperature below the beta transus;
• e) performing a solution heat treatment of the titanium alloy;
• and
• f) performing annealing or precipitation hardening of the titanium alloy at a temperature below the beta transus.

A ballistic titanium alloy consisting of, in weight %, 6.0 to 6.7 aluminum, 1.4 to 2.0 vanadium, 1.4 to 2.0 molybdenum, 0.20 to 0.35 silicon, 0.18 to 0.23 oxygen, 0.16 to 0.24 iron, 0.02 to 0.06 carbon and the balance titanium together with any incidental impurities, wherein the ballistic titanium alloy is manufactured by:

• a) performing an initial melting step;
• b) conducting a final melt step by vacuum arc remelting;
• c) performing an intermediate forging above or below beta transus;
• d) performing a final forging and rolling the alloy at a temperature below the beta transus;
• e) performing a solution heat treatment of the titanium alloy;
• f) performing annealing or precipitation hardening of the titanium alloy at a temperature below the beta transus,
• wherein said ballistic titanium alloy has a UTS of at least 160 ksi, a tensile yield strength of at least 145 ksi, an elongation of at least 10%, and a V50 ballistic limit that is at least 80 feet per second greater than a base V50 ballistic limit measured for a T-64 alloy when a 0.616 inch thick plate is tested against a 12.7 mm diameter steel fragment simulating projectile, and
• wherein a tensile specimen of said ballistic titanium alloy has a reduction of area (RA) of at least about 25% of an original cross-sectional area of the tensile specimen after fracture when evaluated using ASTM E8 standard.

A ballistic titanium alloy consisting of, in weight %, 6.0 to 6.7 aluminum, 1.4 to 2.0 vanadium, 1.4 to 2.0 molybdenum, 0.20 to 0.35 silicon, 0.18 to 0.23 oxygen, 0.16 to 0.24 iron, 0.02 to 0.06 carbon, and balance titanium with incidental impurities, wherein the ballistic titanium alloy is manufactured by:

• i) performing a first heat treatment of the titanium alloy to a temperature between 40 and 200 degrees Centigrade above the beta transus temperature and forging to break down the cast structure of the ingot and then cooling the alloy;
• ii) performing a second heat treatment of the alloy in (i) to a temperature between 30 and 100 degrees Centigrade below the beta transus and rolling the alloy to a plate, bar, or billet;
• and
• iii) annealing the alloy in (ii) at a temperature below the beta transus,
• wherein the ballistic titanium alloy has a UTS greater than 950 MPa, a tensile yield strength of at least 1,000 MPa, an elongation of at least 10%, a V50 ballistic limit that is at least 80 feet per second greater than a base V50 ballistic limit measured for a T-64 alloy when a 0.616 inch thick plate is tested against a 12.7 mm diameter steel fragment simulating projectile, and
• wherein a tensile specimen of said ballistic titanium alloy has a reduction of area (RA) of at least 25% of an original cross-sectional area of the tensile specimen after fracture when evaluated using an ASTM E8 standard.