Processing–Microstructure–Crystallographic Texture–Surface Property Relationships in Friction Stir Processing of Titanium

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a solid-state technique for microstructural modification of metallic materials. The aim of this work is to establish processing–microstructure–texture–surface properties relationship in commercially pure titanium (cp-Ti) processed by FSP under different processing conditions. The effect of processing conditions on the microstructural changes and the evolution of crystallographic texture is systematically studied. The changes in the chemical composition of the passive surface layer are characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The corrosion behavior of cp-Ti after FSP is evaluated in simulated body fluid and is related to the microstructure, texture and composition of passive layer. Substantial grain refinement was observed after FSP. Shear type deformation texture evolved during FSP with dynamic restoration processes weakening the overall shear texture. The corrosion resistance improved after processing at lower rotational speed due to the presence of basal planes at the surface and the incorporation of TiN in the passive layer. The results of this study suggest that surface properties of cp-Ti like passive layer and corrosion resistance are altered by FSP and can be controlled using appropriate processing parameters.