Abstract:
Ti6321 titanium alloy was treated by pulsed electric current at 300 ℃, which is below the recrystallization temperature, and the original alloy was treated at the same temperature of 300 ℃ in a resistance furnace. The mechanical properties of the sample before and after pulse electric field treatment and the sample after heat treatment at 300 ℃ were compared. The microstructure of the sample in the same position before and after pulsed electric field treatment was characterized by metallurgical microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD). The changes of dislocations before and after pulsed electric field treatment were observed and analyzed using transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The dislocation density was calculated through XRD pattern. The results show that compared with those of the original alloy, the plasticity of Ti6321 titanium alloy is significantly improved after pulse electric field treatment, and the elongation at break is increased from 10.6% to 13.9%. The mechanical properties of the original alloy remain almost unchanged after heat treatment at 300 ℃. The metallographic structure and grain size of the alloy does not change after pulse electric field treatment, but the KAM value and the proportion of small angle grain boundaries significantly decrease. Pulsed electric field can reduce the dislocation density and improve the material plasticity.