Microstructural Changes of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Sheet on Laser Cutting and Irradiation

Abstract

Ti-6Al-4V alloy has come to be widely used in industrial products. In recent years, hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) metals have attracted attention for use as practical materials. Heat-affected zones on laser cutting and irradiation surfaces exhibit changes in crystal grains. Moreover, their textures differ from those of other regions. Therefore, we used laser-processed Ti-6Al-4V alloy to investigate changes in crystal grain and texture characteristics. The crystal orientation was measured using an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) apparatus. Inverse pole figure (IPF) maps were measured from the laser cutting and irradiation surfaces. The results demonstrate that Ti-6Al-4V alloy has a martensitic structure that is attributable to laser irradiation.