Comparative study of superelastic Ti–Zr–Nb and commercial VT6 alloy billets by QForm simulation

A comparative simulation of hot radial shear rolling (RSR) of billets made of a superelastic Ti–Zr–Nb and a commercial VT6 alloy was performed using the QForm finite element modeling program. Rolling in 48 modes with a variable feed angle and elongation ratio at 4 levels and initial rolling temperature at 3 levels was investigated for each alloy. The Ti–Zr–Nb alloy rheology during hot deformation was determined experimentally by hot upset forging and imported into the QForm program. The presence of maxima on the flow curves at the initial stage of deformation, which are absent in the VT6 alloy, is revealed. Simulation results are presented in the form of fields of the stiffness coefficient, strain rate intensity, cumulative strain degree in the maximum reduction section depending on the rolling mode. General regularities of the Ti–Zr–Nb and VT6 behavior in RSR are similar. The gradient of the fields studied decreases, and the roll pressure and torque increase with an increase in the feed angle and elongation ratio. The initial rolling temperature does not significantly affect the deformation pattern, but it significantly affects the roll pressure and torque. At the same time, the experimental alloy demonstrated the greater tendency to localize deforming forces in the near-contact zone and to increase the gradient of stress-strain state parameters over the billet section. The study of the tightening shape and depth of rolled billet ends showed that the Ti–Zr–Nb alloy has a 3.5–9.6 % greater tightening depth. It is shown that experimental alloy rolling requires 1.6–2.4 times higher roll pressure and torque as compared to the commercial alloy.

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