In this study, an easily controlled transformation similar to the β + α → β + α + γ and the analysis of metastable phases in a β solidifying Ti-44.5Al-8Nb-2.5V alloy were investigated. Therefore, a liquid alloy copper-quenching followed by annealing at an application temperature (850 °C) has been carried out. Following quenching, a microstructure composed of several supersaturated phases-the basket-weave β₀ (βbv) phase, the plate-like α₂ (αp) phase and the stripe-like γ (γs) phase-was obtained. In the annealing processes, phase transformations in the prior βbv and αp phases domain corresponded nicely to the β + α → β + α + γ transformation during solidification. Also, in the annealed γs phase, the kinetics of the phase transformations involving the metastable L1₂ phase was firstly detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The L1₂ phase had a lattice structure similar to the γ phase, whereas the composition of the phase was similar to the α₂ phase. The formation of the γ pre-twin phase with an anti-phase boundary (APB) was detected in the γs phase of the matrix. The orientation relationships between the γs and precipitated: γ (γp) phase are <101]γs//<114]γp, (10 1 ¯ )γs//( 1 ¯ 10)γp and (0 1 ¯ 0)γs//(22 1 ¯ )γp.
Keywords: L12 phase; low temperature phase transformation; titanium aluminides; γ pre-twin.