Microstructure and Properties of Titanium-Based Materials Promising for Antiballistic Protection

Abstract

titanium-based materials, which combine high strength and hardness of surface layer along with sufficient ductile characteristics of the matrix metal, are very promising for various applications, particularly, as armoured components in military-industrial complex. Above-mentioned combination of properties can be achieved by means of the creation of multilayer structures, which consist of layers possessing different physical and mechanical properties. In the present study, microstructure peculiarities, mechanical and antiballistic protection properties of the layered tibased materials are investigated. two different ways were used for fabrication of such the layered structures. the first one is a conventional metallurgical (ingotwrought) method followed by the surface rapid heat treatment of the ті-6Al-4V and t110 alloys for fabrication of graded structures with different mechanical properties over the material depth. the second one is an elemental powder metallurgy method for fabrication of the structures combining layers of the ti-6Al-4V alloy and composites based on it and hardened with tic or tib particles. ballistic tests of the obtained materials are carried out for different types of projectiles with different kinetic energy and hardness of the core; features of the penetration of the hitting elements are performed depending on the material structural state. It is proved that materials with graded and layered structures demonstrate undeniable advantages in the antiballistic protection characteristics as compared with homogeneous alloys of the same thickness.

Electron Beam Cold Hearth Melted Titanium Alloys and the Possibility of Their Use as Anti-Ballistic Materials

“…The decisive influence of microstructure type on the ballistic behavior of titanium alloys very clearly can be illustrated with cross-sections of channels perforated in 4 mm thick T110 sheets shot through by LPS bullets of 7.62 caliber with "soft" steel core (bullet of the 1st type in [9], which impacted the target due to kinetic energy only), mass 9.62 grams, average speed 915±18 m/sec, and specific kinetic energy 65±4 J/mm2 (Fig. 2).…”

“…Real chemical compositions of melted ingots (averaged for 3 different locations of ingots) were following: i) Ti-5.8(wt.%)Al-3.86V; ii) Ті-5,5Al-1,2V-1V-0,7Zr-3,8Nb-2Fe; and iii) Ti-1.6Al-6.3Mo-4.36Fe. All three ingots were subjected to turning, 3D hot pressing, rolling and several types of treatments ensuring the formation of different microstructural states -all details of these procedures were described in [9]. As a result, materials of several thicknesses (varying from 3 to 14.5 mm) were obtained; their microstructure and mechanical properties were studied, and ballistic tests were performed using different weapons and ammunition at a certified laboratory of Ivan Tchernyakhovsky National University of Defense of Ukraine.…”

“…As a result, materials of several thicknesses (varying from 3 to 14.5 mm) were obtained; their microstructure and mechanical properties were studied, and ballistic tests were performed using different weapons and ammunition at a certified laboratory of Ivan Tchernyakhovsky National University of Defense of Ukraine. The details of investigation and tests were also given in [9]. In the present study we used two types of bullets and ammunitions: the 1 st type -7.62 caliber bullets with "soft" (not-hardened) steel core, which impacted the target due to kinetic energy only.…”

“…A comparison of different alloys can be made using approach based on the employment of such independent and generalizing parameter as the specific kinetic energy of bullets [9]. All three studied alloys are compared in coordinates "specific kinetic energy -thickness of plates" on the example of ballistic tests with bullets of the 1st type (TT and LPS with "soft" steel core) in Fig.…”

“…The present work was devoted to the study of the influence of this technological approach on the mechanical properties and ballistic resistance of three titanium alloys: two-phase α+β Ti-6Al-4V (low alloyed), T110 (Ti-5.5Al-1.5V-1.5Mo-4Nb-0.5Fe, higher-alloyed), and β-metastable Ti-1.5Al-6.8Mo-4.5Fe. Special attention was paid to the application of strengthening Surface Rapid Heat Treatment (SRHT) which allows to form gradient microstructural states uniting hardened surface layers with ductile core [8,9].…”