Texture evolution in vacuum arc remelted ingots of Ti-6Al-4V

The textures of the alpha and beta phases of a production-scale Ti-6Al-4V VAR ingot were determined using orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). Alpha-phase textures were determined directly from specimens that were cut from various regions of the ingot. To determine the texture of the beta phase, the measured orientations of alpha-phase variants from a number of prior-beta grains and specialized analysis software, which was based on the burgers relation between the alpha and beta phases, were utilized. The results of the analysis demonstrated that the columnar grains in the ingot had formed as a result of solidification of the beta phase along 〈100〉 preferred-growth directions. By contrast, the equiaxed grains at the center of the ingot had random alpha- and beta-phase textures.