Institute of Metals Division - Orientation of Cast Beryllium (TN)

THE texture method (utilizing monochromatic copper radiation) was applied to determine the orientation of the columnar grains of two vacuum cast beryllium ingots of 3 in. diam. Samples were mounted in a fixture as illustrated in Fig. 1, which permitted rotation and translation in order to approximate the method used for wires. The specimens were aligned so that the major axes of the columnar grains were parallel. Rotation was around the growth direction. After each translation the specimen holder was rotated 2 deg (1 deg for the samples from the second ingot) until a range of 30 deg on either side of the vertical was covered. The speed of translation was 1 mm per sec. A representative Debye pattern is shown in Fig. 2. The pattern was compared with theoretical patterns for various orientations. Also shown in Fig. 2 is the disposition of reflections on the (10i0), (0002), and (1011) Debye rings for the two possibilities that growth is either in the <10i0> or <ll30> direction. It is apparent that no significant preference for the direction of columnar growth is indicated. It is considered that the lack of a preferred orientation is due to the occurrence of the phase transformation (reported by Martin and oore&apos; to occur above 1250 "C) which masked the original solidification orientation. This research was supported by the United States Air Force under Contract No. AF 33(616)-5911, monitored by the Materials Central, WADD, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.