Acquiring a novel constitutive equation of a TC6 alloy at high-temperature deformation

The TC6 alloy produced in Baoji nonferrous metals work, Xian, China, is one of the best titanium alloys with good resistance against heat and corrosion and is widely used in the aviation and aerospace industries. In this paper, isothermal compression tests were conducted on the TC6 alloy in the Thermecmastor Z simulator, at temperatures between 800 and 1040°C at strain rates between 0.001 and 50 s^-1 to a 50% height reduction. The experimental results are presented as variations of flow stress with deformation temperature, strain rate, and strain. On the basis of the present experimental results and deformation behavior, a constitutive equation for the TC6 alloy was proposed by employing an Arrhenius-type equation. The activation energy of deformation (Q) and work-hardening index (n) are found to be a function of strain. The present equation is in good agreement with the experimental data.