Transition alpha structure in beta-isomorphous Nb-Hf alloys

Abstract

Binary Nb-Hf alloys exhibit a wide bcc solid solution phase field at temperatures above the Hfα→ß transition (2023K) and a two phase bcc+hcp field at lower temperatures. The β solvus exhibits a small slope above about 1500K, suggesting the possible existence of a miscibility gap. An earlier investigation showed that two morphological forms of precipitate occur during the bcc→hcp transformation. The equilibrium morphology is rod-type with axes along <113> bcc. The crystallographic habit of the rod precipitate follows the Burgers relations: {110}||{0001}, <112> || <1010>. The earlier metastable form, transition α, occurs as thin discs with {100} habit. The {100} discs induce large strains in the matrix. Selected area diffraction examination of regions ∼2 microns in diameter containing many disc precipitates showed that, a diffuse intensity distribution whose symmetry resembled the distribution of equilibrium α Bragg spots was associated with the disc precipitate.