Dual-property alpha-beta titanium alloy forgings
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorMark D. Gorman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An alpha-beta titanium alloy preform is processed in the beta phase field, by heat treating or beta forging. The processed preform is thereafter heated into the alpha-beta phase field, and a preselected portion is forged, leaving a nonselected portion that is not forged in the alpha-beta phase field. The resulting article has a beta-processed structure in the nonselected portion, and a beta-processed plus alpha-beta forged structure in the preselected portion. In one application, the preform has the shape of a disk useful in the manufacture of an aircraft gas turbine engine. Depending upon specific requirements, either the center or the rim of the disk may be the selected portion.
Claims17
A method for preparing a titanium-alloy article, comprising the steps of
- providing a preform of an alpha-beta titanium alloy whose phase diagram exhibits a beta phase field and an alpha-beta phase field;
- processing the preform in the beta phase field;
- and thereafter
- forging a preselected portion of the processed preform in the alpha-beta phase field to form the titanium-alloy article, so that a nonselected portion of the preform is not forged,
- whereupon, at the completion of the step of forging, the nonselected portion has a beta-processed microstructure, and the preselected portion has a beta-processed plus alpha-beta forged microstructure.
A method for preparing a titanium-alloy article, comprising the steps of
- providing a preform of an alpha-beta titanium alloy whose phase diagram exhibits a beta phase field and an alpha-beta phase field, the preform having the shape of a thick annular washer with a central region and a blade region adjacent to an outer periphery of the washer;
- processing the preform in the beta phase field, the step of processing including the steps of
- heating the preform into the beta phase field to produce a beta-phase structure, and
- cooling the preform to the alpha phase field so that the beta-phase structure is not recrystallized;
- and thereafter
- forging a preselected portion of the processed preform in the alpha-beta phase field to form the titanium-alloy article, so that a nonselected portion of the preform is not forged, the step of forging including the steps of
- heating the preform into the alpha-beta phase field,
- deforming the preform, while it is in the alpha-beta phase field, with a strain of at least about 0.2, and
- cooling the deformed preform,
- whereupon, at the completion of the step of forging, the nonselected portion has a beta-processed microstructure, and the preselected portion has a beta-processed plus alpha-beta forged microstructure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.