Enhancing the Machinability of Titanium Alloy (TI6AL4V): A Comprehensive Review of Literature

Titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V) are alloys, which contain a mixture of titanium and other elements. The alloy boasts excellent mechanical properties such as high toughness, high strength to weight ratio, and good corrosion resistance ability. Its excellent mechanical properties as well as its suitability for high temperature applications, make it fit for many industrial applications. However, titanium alloy has low thermal conductivity, which makes it susceptible to poor machinability and dimensional inaccuracies during machining operations. In this study, a comprehensive review of the literature was carried out in order to identify the various strategies suitable for enhancing the machinability of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). The findings from the survey indicate that the machinability of titanium to the required surface finish can be enhanced in the following ways: use of effective cooling strategies, process design, optimisation of process parameters, selection of appropriate cutting tool, effective process monitoring and control as well as the selection of the optimum range of process parameters, etc. It is envisaged that the findings of this work will assist machinists in their quest to achieve sustainability during the cutting operations of titanium alloy.