TIMETAL 54M: A New Alpha-Beta Titanium Alloy with Improved Machinability

TIMETAL 54M (Ti-5Al-4V-0.5Fe-0.8Mo) is an alpha-beta alloy with superior machinability and similar mechanical properties compared to Ti-6Al-4V, the most widely used alpha-beta alloy. TIMETAL 54M is expected to provide a substantial cost savings over Ti-6Al-4V parts that require extensive machining operations. This presentation will discuss processing experiences from ingot melting to billet forging, along with heat treatments to achieve optimal tensile, fracture, and fatigue properties. In addition, results from studies on drilling and milling machinability of TIMETAL 54M will be provided.