Design and Development of a New Titanium Alloy with Improved Near-Net-Shape Formability

In this Phase I SBIR program, QuesTek proposes to apply its Materials by Design® technology to the design and development of a new castable titanium alloy. Microstructural concepts for the alloy design will focus on improved castability (near-net-shape formability), improved mechanical strength (including fatigue strength), and lower cost relative to the existing aerospace-grade Ti-6Al-4V alloy. QuesTek intends to complete the design and demonstrate the alloy at prototype casting scale. Using cast Ti-6Al-4V as a baseline (one of the so-called “α/β” titanium alloys), the aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of creating a castable alloy, exploring design space that incorporates lower cost alloying components (e.g., Si or Fe instead of V). In addition, the sensitivity of the alloy’s design to the elevated impurity levels encountered in non-aerospace-grade stock materials will also be examined.