Texture evolution during sub-critical annealing and its effect on yield strength anisotropy of laser directed energy deposited Ti-6Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy

Titanium alloys fabricated by laser directed energy deposition (LDED) are usually subjected to sub-critical annealing to improve mechanical properties. This work mainly investigated the texture evolution of LDEDed Ti–6Al–2Zr–1Mo–1V alloy during sub-critical annealing and its effect on the anisotropy of yield strength. Results indicated that <0001> of α phase in the as-deposited sample exhibited two types of circle-shaped texture, which were perpendicular to the deposition direction (VD) and 45° away from VD, respectively. The intensities of these two types of texture were approximately equal because the α texture in the as-deposited sample were transformed from the strong <001>_β//VD fiber texture following Burgers orientation relationship with weak variant selection. During sub-critical annealing, the formation of primary α phase, which tended to be transformed from the {110}_β parallel to VD, led to the intensity of circle-shaped texture perpendicular to VD greater than that 45° away from VD. The calculation results suggested that all basal and prismatic slip systems of some α variants transformed from the {110}_β parallel to VD were in hardly-activated orientation with Schmid factor (m) equal to zero for loading along the horizontal direction (HD), the slip systems of some α variants transformed from the {110}_β 45° to VD were in hardly-activated orientation with m = 0 for loading along 45° direction (OD), while the systems of all α variants were in easily-activated orientation with high Schmid factors for loading along VD. After sub-critical annealing, the content of α phase in hardly-activated orientation increased for loading along HD but decreased for loading along OD, resulting in a smaller difference of yield strength between OD and VD or HD.