72 Thermohydrogen Treatment of High Strength Beta Titanium Alloy Ti 10V-2Fe-3Al

In order to broaden the range of application of advanced materials, innovative routes of thermomechanical processing are necessary. Thermohydrogen Treatment (THT) – using hydrogen as a temporary alloying element – appears to be a promising method in order to improve particularly mechanical properties of metals by microstructure modification being unobtainable by technical heat treatment. The present study introduces reliable data concerning the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen uptake/release as well as a THT strategy for the high strength metastable beta titanium alloy Ti 10-2-3. THT is based on the recrystallization of the beta matrix as a consequence of the dissolution of hydrogen-induced phase. The interactions between dislocations and vacancies build subgrains, which seem to serve as nuclei for recrystallization.