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 ω phase in the VT16 alloy with the initial (α + β) 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 β solid solution, β + α″ + ω, β + α″, and α″ martensite, are formed have been determined to be 750, 800, 750–850, and ≤850°C, respectively. Dependences of variations in the volume fractions of phases were plotted. It has been shown that, at quenching temperatures close to the β-transus, the active growth of β-phase grains takes place at the expense of a decrease in the α-phase volume fraction.