Institute of Metals Division - Time Temperature-Transformation Characteristics of Titanium-Molybdenum Alloys

KNOWLEDGE of the isothermal transformation behavior and the TTT chart method of graphically summarizing such information has been of invaluable aid to the ferrous metallurgist in understanding and developing heat treatments intended to provide specific mechanical properties. It is to be expected that similar lines of study directed to titanium-base alloys will be as profitable. This paper summarizes, on conventional TTT charts, the isothermal transformation products and pertinent reaction rate data for binary alloys of titanium containing 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 pct Mo, respectively. The results so presented were derived from metal-lographic examination. Some X-ray diffraction work was done to clarify certain points of question. Ti-Mo System To the authors' k.nowledge, TTT charts have only been used to describe the reaction rates of eutectoidal decompositions. It would seem that the kinetics of decomposition of any unstable solid solution might be conveniently described in this manner. The equilibrium diagram of the Ti-Mo system' is shown in Fig. 1. The similarity with the Fe-Ni system will be recognized. Additions of molybdenum serve to stabilize the /3 phase to increasingly lower temperatures. The solubility of molybdenum in the a phase is restricted to less than 1 pct at 600°C. Under normal conditions. a homogeneous ,8 structure quenched to a, temperature in the a f & field will reject a of invariant composition. The rate at which this occurs depends on the degree of undercooling and the degree of supersaturation of /3. The structural character of the rejected phase may also be expected to be related to the undercooling. Materials and Experimental Methods A sponge titanium was used which has a nominal impurity content as reported in Table I. The nominal composition of the molybdenum used is also included. The alloys were prepared in 150 g melts by arc melting in an evacuated water-cooled copper crucible of the type reported in an earlier paper.' The pancake-type ingots were forged to 1/4x1/4 in. bars and homogenized for 24 hr at 1000°C in evacuated Vycor bulbs. Specimens Vi in. thick were cut from these bars for heat treatment. The heat treatment cycles followed an invariant procedure. The specimens were soaked at 1000°C for 20 min under a helium protective atmosphere prior to quenching into a lead bath held at a temperature corresponding to a chosen degree of undercooling. After a prescribed period of time at this temperature, the specimen was removed and water quenched. A series of specimens so treated for progressively longer periods served to establish the times for initiation and completion of the decomposition of the /3 phase at a particular temperature. Although heat treatment of unprotected specimens in a lead bath does permit surface contamination by lead diffusion, this method is necessary to insure sufficiently rapid quenching rates. As long as the bath treatments were of less than 1 hr duration. the contaminated surface was not unduly deep and could be removed without excessive grinding. Metal-lographically, the contaminated zone could be readily distinguished from the pure binary alloy. Transformation Characteristics of Ti-Mo Alloys Metallographic examination showed that a supersaturated p phase may decompose by one of two processes. Alloys containing 1 to 9 pct Mo, when quenched in water from the homogeneous /3 field,