Optimization of upcycling of Ti-6Al-4V swarf

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Application of Ti alloys in the aerospace and biomedical industries is on the incline which typically results in more than 80% of Ti alloy in swarf. Hence, developing innovative processes to recycle Ti alloys swarf is becoming an increasingly valuable issue. Equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) compaction with a series of post-deformation heat treatments were designed and investigated in this study as method to upcycle Ti swarf. After a single ECAP compaction process, the compacts possessed near 99% theoretical density and annealing treatment further increased the density and enhanced the bonding between chips. The microstructural and textural evolution of α and β phases after ECAP and annealing was examined. Upcycling of fine-grained Ti-6Al-4V compacts with minimum crystallographic texture intensity were produced from swarf using economically-viable way.