Investigation of microstructure, mechanical performance, and corrosion resistance of thin-walled titanium welded pipe by annealing process

Abstract

Thin-wall titanium welded pipe has important applications in the fields of new energy vehicles, aerospace, and heat exchangers, the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance after high-frequency induction welding are rarely studied. To improve the comprehensive performance of thin-walled titanium welded pipe, a heat process and the performance optimization mechanism were studied in this paper. In addition, we systematically explored the influence of heat treatment conditions on the microstructure, mechanical performance, and dissolution behavior of the welded pipe through various methods, including tensile tests, immersion tests, and electrochemical tests. The results indicated that heat treatment primarily regulates the quantity and distribution of martensitic phases, acicular structures, and serrated structures in the welded joints, thereby impacting the mechanical performance of the welded pipe. By following high-temperature annealing at 800 °C for 0.5 h, with a heating rate of 5 °C/min, the acicular and serrated structures in the welded joints completely disappeared, forming an annealed equiaxed structure consistent with the base material. Subsequent furnace cooling reduced internal thermal stresses within the grains, resulting in relatively smooth grain boundaries, reduced small-sized grains, and a more uniform distribution of grain sizes, ultimately eliminating the residual stresses. Consequently, the welded pipe exhibited outstanding comprehensive performance, including ultimate tensile strength, Vickers hardness, and fracture elongation of 439.2 MPa, 178.3 HV, and 18 %, respectively. Notably, under room temperature, after immersion in a 3.5 % sodium chloride solution for 28 days, there was no significant change in the sample's mass. Therefore, the properties of thin-walled titanium welded pipe can be improved by annealing process, and it provides strong support and reliable evidence for its application in related fields.