Phase transformation behavior of gamma titanium aluminide alloys during supertransus heat treatment

Microstructure evolution in a wrought near-gamma titanium alloy, Ti-45Al-2Cr-2Nb, was investigated by a series of heat treatments comprised of initial heating high in the alpha-plus-gamma phase field followed by short-time heating in the single-phase alpha field. The initial heating step led to a dispersion of gamma particles which pinned the alpha grain boundaries. The kinetics of the gamma grain dissolution during subsequent heating in the single-phase field were interpreted in terms of models for both interface reaction-controlled and diffusion-controlled processes. The model for diffusion-controlled dissolution yielded predictions comparable to the observed times, whereas the model for interface reaction-controlled behavior predicted dissolution kinetics over an order of magnitude slower than observed. The growth of the alpha grains, both before and after the dissolution of the gamma phase, was also modeled. Section size limitations to the ability to use supertransus heating to obtain uniform and moderately fine alpha grain sizes were examined using the transformation models and a simple heat transfer analysis approach. The results were validated through the heat treatment of subscale and full-scale forgings.