An investigation of machining induced residual stresses on Grade 4 and 5 titanium alloys

M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering)Titanium and its alloys have the potential to serve as a strategic economic driver of the South African economy. The manufacture and use of high strength, lightweight materials such as titanium alloys have become of great importance in the aerospace and biomedical industries over the past few decades. The manufacturing costs of titanium alloy components however, are considered high due to the poor machinability of the material. Furthermore, as with all metals during machining, surface residual stresses are induced into the material. These are of particular interest in the aerospace industry as they can be either detrimental or beneficial to the performance and fatigue life of materials. The aim of this investigation is therefore to examine the effect that machining parameters have on the magnitude, sign and distribution of residual stresses induced in Grade 4 and 5 titanium alloys during high performance machining (turning). The effect of these machining parameters is investigated by residual stress measurements conducted with X-ray diffraction and grain structure analysis of the machined surfaces by optical microscopy. Results show that cutting speed and depth of cut have a significant effect on the residual stresses. At low cutting speeds, the surface residual stresses are largely compressive, becoming more tensile with an increase in cutting speed. An increase in depth of cut also introduces more compressive residual stresses into the material. The microstructural analysis of the alloys shows that grain deformation decreases with an increase in cutting speed and cutting depth