Mechanism and kinetics of carbide dissolution in near alpha Ti-5.6Al-4.8Sn-2Zr-1Mo-0.35Si-0.7Nd titanium alloy

The present work evaluates the influence of bulk carbon content and aging temperature on the stability of carbide in near alpha Ti-5.6Al-4.8Sn-2Zr-1Mo-0.35Si-0.7Nd titanium alloy. The carbide particles were formed during heat treatment in the β phase field and preserved by water quenching. Subsequent aging treatments at 750–850 °C caused partial dissolution of these precipitates, as a result of the peritectoid reaction between the β phase and carbide. The models based on interface reaction controlled dissolution, via uniform atomic detachment, dislocation mechanism or vacancy flow, yielded experimental predictions comparable to the observed dissolution kinetics. Furnace cooling after heat treatment in the β phase field dissolved carbide particles completely, and the microstructure changed from acicular-like or block α to equiaxed α with increase of carbon content.