Microstructure evolution of pure titanium during hydrostatic extrusion

Regarding severely deformed materials of potentially high applicability in various industry branches, their microstructure evolution during processing is of vast significance as it enables to control or adjust the most essential properties, including mechanical strength or corrosion resistance. Within the present study, the microstructure development of commercially pure titanium (grade 2) in the multi-stage process of hydrostatic extrusion has been studied with the use of the well-established techniques, involving electron backscatter diffraction as well as transmission electron microscopy. Microstructural deformation-induced defects, including grain boundaries, dislocations, and twins, have been meticulously analyzed. In addition, a special emphasis has been placed on grain size, grain boundary character as well as misorientation gradients inside deformed grains. The main aim was to highlight the microstructural alterations triggered by hydroextrusion and single out their possible sources. The crystallographic texture was also studied. It has been concluded that hydrostatically extruded titanium is an exceptionally inhomogeneous material in terms of its microstructure as evidenced by discrepancies in grain size and shape, a great deal of dislocation-type features observed at every single stage of processing and the magnitude of deformation energy stored. Twinning, accompanied by grain subdivision phenomenon, was governing the microstructural development at low strains; whereas, the process of continuous dynamic recrystallization came to the fore at higher strains.Selected mechanical properties resulting from the studied material microstructure are also presented and discussed.