Analysis of the Surface Treatments Effect on the Creep Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Abstract

This paper compares the creep behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy after different surface treatments, the plasma nitriding using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), and the deposition of SiC thin films with Cr interlayer using High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS). A microstructural characterization was performed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. The creep test was performed at a constant load from 500 to 600 °C and 125 to 319 MPa, and a fractographic analysis was performed. The EDS analysis of the plasma nitrided layer indicated the nitrogen presence of the compounds TiN and Ti₂N and an increase in the iron concentration. Creep test results in both conditions indicated an increase in the creep resistance. Plasma nitrided condition indicated the lowest creep rate and lesser elongation, making it the most suitable in applications that require a low dimensional distortion.

Keywords:
Ti-6Al-4V; SiC film; HiPIMS; plasma nitriding; Creep