Permanent Mold Casting of Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V

A literature review indicated that data on the effect of various casting defects, such as inclusions and porosity, on the properties of titanium alloy castings were not readily available. This information is required to reduce the cost of fabricating titanium castings for potential automotive applications. To this end, a research project was initiated to develop data on the as-cast properties of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64). Step plate castings with 3.2, 6.3, 13 and 25 mm thick steps were produced in a high-density graphite mold following melting in an induction furnace with water-cooled copper hearth. The mechanical properties were determined in the as-cast condition and were found to be close to the values reported in standards. Few casting defects such as inclusions and porosity were observed, and the loss of strength due to these defects is not significant. It is shown that titanium castings with good mechanical properties can be produced in high-density graphite molds.