Effect of hafnium addition on microstructure and room temperature mechanical properties of the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb intermetallic alloy

Microstructures, phase transformations and mechanical properties of the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb-xHf (4822-xHf, x = 0, 2, 4, 6 at%) intermetallic alloys were investigated. The alloys were fabricated by vacuum arc remelting followed by hot isostatic pressing and homogenization treatment. The results showed that Hf alloying leads to a significant microstructure refinement in terms of both colony size and inter-lamellar spacing. Homogenization at 1400 °C resulted in a fully lamellar (FL) microstructure in 4822 and 2Hf alloys, while nearly lamellar (NL) in 4Hf and 6Hf alloys. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) demonstrated that Hf addition up to 2 at% has a slight contribution to phase transition sequences, but a significant implication to the phase equilibrium of the alloys with further Hf content. Based on the DTA data and annealing at 1450 °C, the solvus temperature of the eutectic phases was estimated to be over the range of 1430–1440 °C. Although the eutectic phases of Al3Hf2 and TiAl2 formed during solidification of the high-Hf alloys did not undergo any phase transition, both size and volume fraction of the eutectic cells increased due to the solvus of these metastable eutectic phases. The orientation relationship {111}Tetragonal//{001}Orthorhombic detected between the eutectic phases and their surrounding matrix confirmed the occurrence of γc (TiAl) → eutectics (Al3Hf2, TiAl2) phase transformation. Small punch tests results showed that the 2Hf and 4Hf alloys exhibit a higher maximum load (Fm) than the base 4822 alloy due to the solid solution effect of Hf and finer inter-lamellar spacing. Nevertheless, the brittle behavior of the eutectic phases dramatically deteriorated mechanical performance such that the 6Hf alloy possessed the lowest Fm and displacement. The major fracture mode changed from trans-lamellar to inter-lamellar as the Hf content increased from 4 to 6 at%.