Friction Welding of Intermetallic Titanium Aluminides: Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties

Abstract Intermetallic titanium aluminides have the potential to replace currently used nickel-based superalloys in high temperature applications in the medium term owing to their attractive properties profile. They will mainly be used for aircraft and automobile engines. The production of individual components of aircraft or automobile engines requires an easily applicable and reliable joining technology in order to produce complex component structures as a consequence of costs incurred for machining them from solid. Friction welding plays a key role when it comes to an economical use of titanium aluminide materials in lightweight constructions and high temperature applications. The present work describes this pressure welding technique using an extruded γ-TiAl-based alloy Ti-43.5Al-4Nb-1Mo-0.1B (at%). It compares and discusses the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of joints of the same kind.