Grain growth in a conventional titanium alloy during rapid, continuous heat treatment

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to analyze the kinetics of beta grain growth during rapid, continuous heating of a conventional alpha-beta titanium alloy. The analysis was based on approximate, closed-form theoretical expressions derived by Bourell and Kaysser and Soper and Semiatin as well as a fully numerical, computer-based approach. The problem and approach discussed here differs from previous investigations of grain growth during continuous heating and cooling, most of which have been for austenite grain growth in the heat-affected zone during welding of steels. In this regard, the main features of the present work are the very high heating rates involved, the avoidance of the application of complex numerical integration schemes, and the avoidance of using isothermal grain growth kinetic data to fit continuous heating results.