SHORT-TIME BETA-GRAIN-GROWTH KINETICS FOR A CONVENTIONAL TITANIUM-ALLOY

The kinetics of beta grain growth during short-time, supertransus heat treatment of Ti-6Al-4V were determined using a salt-pot technique. Th e finite-time, subtransus temperature transient during salt-pot heatin g was quantified through measurements of the heat transfer coefficient characterizing conduction across the salt-titanium interface and a si mple heat conduction analysis which incorporated temperature transient were successfully fit to the parabolic grain growth law d(n) - d(0)(n ) = kt exp(-Q/RT) using an exponent n equal to 2.0. Comparison of the present results to rapid, continuous heat treatment data in the litera ture for a similar titanium alloy revealed a number of semi-quantitati ve similarities.