Texture of Hot-Compressed Metastable β-Titanium Alloy Ti5321 Studied by Neutron Diffraction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgy
• Crystallography

Background:

• Metastable beta-titanium alloys are crucial for aerospace applications.
• Understanding phase transformations and texture evolution during hot deformation is key to optimizing alloy properties.
• Ti5321 is a metastable beta-titanium alloy with potential for high-performance applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the crystallographic texture evolution of both beta (β) and alpha (α) phases in Ti5321 alloy after hot deformation.
• To analyze the influence of hot compression temperature relative to the beta-transus temperature on texture development.
• To elucidate the mechanisms governing texture formation during hot working of this alloy.

Main Methods:

• Neutron diffraction was employed to determine the crystallographic textures of the β and α phases.
• The alloy was subjected to solution treatment in the β-phase field.
• Hot compression tests were performed at temperatures both above and below the β-transus temperature.

Main Results:

• The initial texture after recrystallization in the β-phase field was characterized by weak cube {001}<100> and minor {112}<110>, {111}<110> components.
• Hot compression resulted in a <100> fiber texture in the β-phase, with intensity increasing with compression temperature.
• Below the β-transus, dynamic recrystallization of the β-phase and dynamic spheroidization of the α-phase occurred, leading to a <11-20> fiber texture in the α-phase, intensifying with decreasing temperature.

Conclusions:

• Hot deformation significantly influences the texture of both β and α phases in Ti5321.
• The observed textures are a result of the interplay between dynamic recrystallization, dynamic spheroidization, and deformation mechanisms.
• The findings provide insights into controlling the microstructure and properties of Ti5321 through thermomechanical processing.