Effect of Quenching Temperature on Structure and Properties of Titanium Alloy: Structure and Phase Composition

X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission and scanning electron microscopy have been used to study regularities of the formation of structure and phase composition of a VT16 alloy during its quenching. The formation of an athermal omega phase in the VT 16 alloy with the initial (alpha + beta) structure during quenching of the alloy from 800 C was found to be possible. Quenching temperatures (T-q) at which various metastable phase compositions, such as the metastable 13 solid solution, beta + alpha" + omega, beta + alpha", and alpha" martensite, are formed have been determined to be 750, 800, 750-850, and <= 850 degrees C, respectively. Dependences of variations in the volume fractions of phases were plotted. It has been shown that, at quenching temperatures close to the beta-transus, the active growth of beta-phase grains takes place at the expense of a decrease in the alpha-phase volume fraction.