Evaluation of Press Formability of Pure Titanium Sheets

Commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) has been actively used in plate heat exchangers due to its light weight, high specific strength, and excellent corrosion resistance. However compared with automotive steels and aluminum alloys, only limited research has been conducted on the plastic deformation characteristics and press formability of CP Ti sheets. In this study, the mechanical properties, including the anisotropic property and the stress-strain relation, of the CP Ti sheet are clarified in relation to press formability. A new proposed strain hardening model, Kim-Tuan equation, is successful in perfectly describing the stress evaluation for strain increment of this material during strain path. The forming limit curve (FLC) of the CP Ti sheet as a criterion for press formability was experimentally evaluated by punch stretching testing and analytically predicted via Hora’s modified maximum force criterion. The predicted FLC based on the Kim-Tuan strain hardening equation and the appropriate yield function correlates well with the experimental results of the punch stretching test.