Journal of Materials Processing Technology 113 (2001) 516520

Intermetallic coatings produced by TIG surface melting

S. Mridha*, H.S. Ong, L.S. Poh, P. Cheang
Advanced Materials Research Centre, School of Materials Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore

Abstract The titanium aluminide intermetallic alloys possess high specic strength, high hardness and high temperature capabilities up to 8008C such as corrosion and oxidation resistance. These alloys can be suitable replacements for the conventional ceramic coatings applied in many components of chemical plants and aircraft engines to protect against high temperature oxidation and corrosion. The initial feasibility study of the forming of intermetallic alloy coatings on titanium surfaces was undertaken using powder preplacement and TIG surface melting processes. The present paper describes the process parameters that are associated with this route of formation of intermetallic alloy coatings and other issues that include the ability to achieve a defect-free uniform intermetallic layer with superior mechanical properties, and constitutional and microstructural uniformity across the section. The alloy coatings were characterised in terms of microstructures, defects, wear, and hardness using microscope, microhardness tester, tribometer and XRD. Melting conditions were optimised to produce Ti3Al and TiAl coatings without any pores, cavities and cracking. The coating layers yielded a hardness of over 500 Hv. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Intermetallic alloys; Titanium aluminide; TIG torch; Glazing; Surface melting; Track; Defects; Energy density; Hardness

1. Introduction Titanium aluminides represent a revolutionary class of engineering alloys that has been making steady progress since research on them started in mid 1970s. These alloys possess structural properties over a serviceable temperature range that competes with those of some nickel-based superalloys [1]. Some parts that are targeted and have been tested for replacement with titanium aluminides include automotive engine valves, turbocharger rotors, turbine blades, highpressure turbine blade dampers, and other parts in the turbine engine such as the compressor [25]. The advantages offered by this class of intermetallics include its low density, substantial high-temperature strength, modulus and creep resistance [6]. Although researchers have considered intermetallics for structural applications for over 20 years, it is in the last decade that most of the studies have been done [7]. Therefore, intermetallics still represent relatively immature materials that have a signicant number of technical barriers that has to be overcome before they can be used as hot section materials (e.g. low creep strength at high temperature and poor ductility at low temperature). The limited ductility and formability at room temperature also has precluded their widespread use and application [8]. However, a surface layer of aluminide may be very effective
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 65-790-6229; fax: 65-792-6559. E-mail address: asmridha@ntu.edu.sg (S. Mridha).

to improve the poor wear and oxidation properties of Ti and Ti alloys for less demanding applications. This paper examines the possibility of forming defect-free titanium aluminide coatings by elemental powders preplacement and TIG torch surface melting processes. 2. Experiment Titanium powder (50 mm size, and 99% purity) and aluminium powder (150 mm size, and 98% purity) were mixed to make up a powder mixture containing 53 wt.% Ti and 47 wt.% Al. This composition gives the intermetallic constituent of TiAl according to the TiAl phase diagram. The mixing of the powders was carried out in a ball mill for 2 h with a ball-to-powder weight ratio of 20:1. Before mixing, the powders were dried in an oven at 708C for 1 h. The titanium particulates were of near spherical shape while the aluminium powders were of aky shape. The mixing became very difcult with ake-shaped powders, however the compositional inhomogeneity that prevailed in the powder mixture is likely to be eliminated on subsequent melting under the TIG torch. Commercially pure titanium was used as a substrate in the form of 100 mm 50 mm sheet with a thickness of 5 mm. Organic binders were used to preplace the powder mixture onto the substrate surface so that the powders do not blow away during glazing action under a ow of inert gas which

0924-0136/01/$ see front matter # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 2 4 - 0 1 3 6 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 6 0 9 - 4

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Fig. 2. A track processed at 60 A, 2 mm s1, 5 mm.

Fig. 1. TIG torch glazing features.

helps to protect the melt from oxidation. The powder mixture was rst made to a pasty mass by mixing with a binder and then applied onto the substrate surfaces. The amount of binder (PVA and water) was restricted within a limit in order to eliminate pore formations [9]. The thickness of the preplaced powder layer was maintained between 0.6 and 1 mm. This powder-coated substrate was then dried in an oven to remove water and subsequently melted under the TIG torch. The TIG torch/arc used for glazing action was produced with an operating current ranging from 50 to 100 A. The glazing was carried out at 2, 3 and 4 mm s1 speed and the electrode height from the substrate surface was varied between 2 and 5 mm. Other than the electric current, the electrode height and the glazing speed were used to control the energy density of the torch. The schematic diagram in Fig. 1 shows the essential features of glazing. 3. Results and discussion 3.1. Microstructure The TIG torch used in this study successfully melted the preplaced powder mixture and produced intermetallic alloy coatings strongly bonded with the substrate. Most of the tracks had reective surfaces with no discernible defects such as cracks, cavities or pores. The track cross-sections had a hemispherical conguration and produced a melted layer above the substrate surface. Those tracks glazed with 60 and 70 A current produced tracks with little melting of the substrate surfaces (Fig. 2). The bonding of the alloyed layer occurred by the melting of a thin layer of the substrate material, see Fig. 3. When processed at a low-energy density torch (50 A, 3 mm s1, 5 mm) the melting occurred mostly onto the

precoated powder mixtures and formed a thin layer of the melt pool. However the melt pool contained pores and cavities (Fig. 4), and these are due to incomplete melting of the powder mixture. The other important shortcomings are the poor adhesion of the coatings at the meltsubstrate interface. Because of the low-energy density of the torch, melting of the substrate material did not occur although some fusion took place at the centre region of the track, forming a good bonding with the matrix, see Fig. 4. The melt structure was that of a non-homogeneous viscous liquid, which solidied to a non-equilibrium needle-like structure

Fig. 3. The meltmatrix interface.

Fig. 4. A track glazed at 50 A, 3 mm s1, 5 mm.

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Fig. 5. An alloyed layer glazed at 80 A, 2 mm s1, 5 mm.

(inset in Fig. 4). However, the coating was not free from defects. The low-energy density glazing, which is calculated from the operating current, scanning speed and electrode height, is believed to be responsible for the creation of these defects. When scanning is performed at low speed under a narrow electrode height, the sample is exposed to higher heat energy compared to that with high speed scanning at greater electrode heights; the increased operating current increases the energy density of the torch [8]. Processing with high-energy density arcs created complete melting of the powder layer, and the resolidied microstructure consisted of lamellar and Windmanstatten type structures (Fig. 5). Basket-wave structures were also seen in some tracks glazed with high-energy arcs. These are the typical structures of titanium aluminide alloys. In high heat intensity melting conditions, the tracks accumulated more titanium from the matrix, so in terms of the compositions of the coating it contained more Ti in the deep region of the melted layer. The depth of the resolidied layer varied from 0.5 to 2.0 mm, depending on the glazing conditions. The depth of the alloyed layer was found to be dependent mainly on the energy density of the torch, as also observed earlier [9]. The melt depth was 2 mm when glazed at 100 A, 2 mm s1, 2 mm. 3.2. Hardness The alloyed layers developed hardnesses of 34 times (500600 Hv) the base hardness (Fig. 6). There is not much

Fig. 6. Hardness prole of the alloyed layer processed at 70 A, 3 mm s1, 5 mm.

variation in high hardness values of the tracks processed with different conditions, although the depths of high hardness regions are different for various glazing conditions. It is to be noted that the hardness values of the intermetallic alloys obtained in the present investigation are higher than those previously obtained by plasma processing and by the solid-state reaction technique [10]. The coating layer created by the plasma technique was only 300m thick. The particle preplacement and TIG melting methods can easily produce an intermetallic layer of over 1 mm thickness when glazed with a relatively high-energy density torch, with a developed maximum hardness of about 600 Hv. 3.3. EDX and XRD analysis EDX analysis of the lamellar and basket-wave structures gave two peaks of titanium and aluminium of comparable heights. Those glazed at higher energy density arcs gave higher titanium peaks indicating a higher concentration of these element in the melt, and the melting of substrate material to a deeper matrix by the high-energy density arc probably had added more Ti into this layer. The needle microstructures produced in the 50 A track again gave Ti and Al peaks of comparable heights. However comparing with the melt matrix peaks, the matrix has higher Ti peaks than that for the Al. The tracks processed with high-energy density arcs (operating current 70 A and over) and containing lamellar

Fig. 7. X-ray peaks from the track surface processed at 70 A, 2 mm s1, 3 mm.

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Fig. 8. X-ray peaks from the track surface glazed at 60 A, 3 mm s1, 5 mm.

and basket-wave structures gave major peaks from Ti3Al (Fig. 7), while those tracks processed with low-energy density arcs (below 70 A) gave mainly TiAl structures (Fig. 8). However, a mixture of Ti3Al and TiAl phases was observed in many tracks processed with high-energy arcs. The thickness of the preplaced powder mixture along with the energy density of the glazing torch is believed to have been inuential in the production of different phases in the alloyed layers. It is to be noted that the coating of an aluminide intermetallic alloy having a mixture of different compounds has better ductility than that containing TiAl or Ti3Al alone and this is more desirable in industrial applications. 3.4. Wear resistance The wear resistance property of the coated aluminide layer was assessed by monitoring the volume loss using a standard formula (volume loss 2pRfr 2 sin1 d=2r1 d 4 4r 2 d0:5 , where R is the wear track radius, d the wear track width, and r the pin end radius) and making direct comparison with the untreated CPTi sample. It is reported that titanium alloys have severe wear behaviour over a wide range of sliding speed [11]. The results in this study also show that the untreated titanium surface suffers high wear, which increased in severity as the applied load is increased.
Fig. 10. Wear surfaces of the alloyed layer processed at 80 A, 2 mm s1, 2 mm.

The micrograph in Fig. 9 shows that adhesive wear was dominated by plastic deformation. The titanium aluminide sample glazed at 80 A, 2 mm s1, 2 mm gave a wear rate of 0.0012 mm3 m1 under a 5 N load compared to 0.0045 mm3 m1 under the same loading conditions. The observed results were consistent with the microhardness values. The micrograph in Fig. 10 shows a distinct change in the surface wear mechanisms. Here smooth regions are visible within the wear scar and adhesive wear is absent. The wear debris from the coated sample had ne particles, while for the untreated sample the particles were large. However, the wear particles of the corresponding samples increased in size with the increase of the test load. 4. Conclusions Tungsten inert gas melting of preplaced elemental powders has been successfully employed in the formation of titanium aluminide intermetallic compounds on CPTi substrate surfaces. When processed with a torch produced at an operating current over 60 A and a scanning velocity of 24 mm s1 at a 5 mm electrode height, the coating layers were free from pores and cracks. The adhesion of the alloyed layer with the matrix occurred by the melting of a thin layer of the substrate. Tracks glazed with low-energy density arcs

Fig. 9. Wear surface of the untreated CPTi alloy.

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S. Mridha et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 113 (2001) 516520 [4] S.E. Harteld-Wunsch, et al., Titanium aluminide automotive engine valves, in: Y.K. Kim, R. Wagner, M. Yamaguchi (Eds.), Gamma Titanium Aluminides, Proceedings of the Symposium on The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, Las Vegas, 1995, pp. 4151. [5] S. Hurta et al., Valves of intermetallic g-TiAl-based alloys: processing and properties, in: P.A. Plenkinsop, W.J. Evans, H.M. Flower (Eds.), Proceedings of Titanium'95 on Science and Technology, Institute of Materials, 1996, p. 97. [6] M. Yamaguchi, Microstructures and mechanical behaviour of gamma titanium aluminides, in: F.H. Froes, I. Caplan (Eds.), Proceedings of Titanium'92 on Science and Technology, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, 1993, p. 959. [7] D.M. Dimiduk, et al., Overview development of intermetallic materials for aerospace systems, Mater. Sci. Technol. 8 (4) (1992) 367. [8] R. Imayev, et al., Structure and ductility of TiAl, in: Y.K. Kim, R. Wagner, M. Yamaguchi (Eds.), Gamma Titanium Aluminides, Proceedings of the Symposium on The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, Las Vegas, 1995, p. 665. [9] S. Mridha, B.S. Ng, Addition of ceramic particles to TIG melted titanium surfaces, Surf. Eng. 15 (3) (1999) 210. [10] K.A. Khor, Y. Murakoshi, M. Takahashi, T. Sano, Plasma spraying of titanium aluminide coatings: process parameters and microstructure, J. Mater. Process. Technol. 48 (1995) 413. [11] L.L. Lebedeva, G.N. Presnyakova, Adhesion wear mechanisms under dry friction of titanium alloys in vacuum, Wear 148 (1991) 203.

(60 A) produced a TiAl structure, but those glazed at highenergy density arcs had major peaks from Ti3Al and other peaks from TiAl. The thickness of the melted layer varied from 0.5 to 2.0 mm depending on the energy density of glazing, and developed a hardness value ranging from 450 to 600 Hv. The wear resistance property of the coated layer is about 34 times that of the untreated titanium alloy. References
[1] D.M. Dimiduk, Gamma titanium aluminides an emerging materials technology, in: Y.K. Kim, R. Wagner, M. Yamaguchi (Eds.), Gamma Titanium Aluminides, Proceedings of the Symposium on The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, Las Vegas, 1995, pp. 320. [2] C.M. Austin, T.J. Kelly, Progress in implementation of cast gamma titanium aluminide, in: Y.K. Kim, R. Wagner, M. Yamaguchi (Eds.), Gamma Titanium Aluminides, Proceedings of the Symposium on The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, Las Vegas, 1995, pp. 2132. [3] B. Pettersson, et al., Cast XDTM gamma titanium aluminide turbine blade dampers, in: Y.K. Kim, R. Wagner, M. Yamaguchi (Eds.), Gamma Titanium Aluminides, Proceedings of the Symposium on The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, Las Vegas, 1995, pp. 3340.