Although titanium metal materials have shown broad application prospects in many fields, there are still deficiencies in the current research on the hot continuous rolling process for small-diameter titanium tubes, as well as the heat treatment and microstructure analysis of rolled bars. The following will conduct a detailed analysis of the rolling process and properties of titanium metal materials from aspects such as rolling temperature, microstructure of rolled products, and the relationship between rolling process and performance.
- Optimal selection of rolling temperature and strain rate
Considering the reduction of deformation resistance, improvement of formability, and guarantee of final rolling structure performance, 950°C was determined as the suitable rolling temperature for titanium tubes. Rolling at this temperature can effectively balance the deformation resistance and plastic deformation capacity of the material. It can make the rolling process smoother, reduce equipment energy consumption and roller wear, and facilitate the attainment of ideal microstructure and properties.
Meanwhile, a reasonable strain rate can help to control the dynamic recrystallization process of the material, make the grains finer and improve the strength and toughness of the material. So the material can fully exert its plasticity to obtain uniform microstructure and excellent mechanical properties.
- Microstructure characteristics of hot continuous rolled products by a three-roll Y-type rolling mill
Using a three-roll Y-type rolling mill for hot continuous rolling, medium-sized bars with diameters of 12mm and 6mm were successfully obtained.
For the 12mm medium-sized tube, its microstructure presents an equiaxed primary phase transformation microstructure, with grain diameters of approximately 3 - 10μm. This equiaxed structure has good isotropy and can provide relatively uniform mechanical properties in different directions. While for the 6mm medium-sized tube, the microstructure consists of a small amount of equiaxed primary α phase, fine strip-like α phase, and β transformation microstructure, with grain sizes less than 1μm. This is because in the rolling process, the large deformation amount promotes the dynamic recrystallization of the material, and leads to grain refinement. This change not only enhances the strength of the material and improves its plasticity and toughness, but also improves the comprehensive performance of the material.
- Verification of the conformity between rolling process and product performance
After comprehensive testing and analysis of the microstructure and mechanical properties of titanium tubes rolled by the three-roll Y-type rolling mill, the results show that both the microstructure and mechanical properties meet the technical requirements. This fully proves that the rolling equipment, rolling process parameters, and heat treatment system adopted in the experiment are scientifically reasonable, capable of producing stable and high-quality titanium tube products. This research result provides a solid technical basis for further promoting the industrial production of titanium metal materials, helping to increase production efficiency, reduce production costs, and promoting the wider application of titanium metal materials in more fields.
Through in-depth research on the rolling process and properties of titanium metal materials, we have clarified the appropriate rolling temperature and strain rate, mastered the microstructure characteristics of different-sized tube materials, and verified the conformity between the rolling process and product performance. These research results are of great significance for optimizing the rolling process of titanium metal materials, improving product quality and performance, and will inject new impetus into the development of the titanium metal materials industry.
