Atomic relaxation processes in an intermetallic Ti–43Al–4Nb–1Mo–0.1B alloy studied by mechanical spectroscopy

An advanced intermetallic γ-TiAl-based alloy containing Nb and Mo has been studied to understand the microscopic mechanisms taking place during thermal treatments carried out to adjust a fine, nearly lamellar microstructure. The evolution of the microstructure has been characterized by high-energy X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, while the atomistic mechanisms of defect mobility have been studied through internal friction and dynamic modulus measurements. An internal friction relaxation peak has been observed at about 1050 K (for 1 Hz) in the initial oversaturated α2-Ti3Al phase, whose intensity strongly decreases after precipitation of the γ-TiAl laths. The activation parameters of this relaxation have been measured, Hact = 3.1 ± 0.05 eV, τ0 = 8.3 × 10−17 s and β = 1.3, and the relaxation is attributed to a point defect mechanism taking place inside the supersaturated α2-Ti3Al phase. A new Zener-like atomistic model based on stress-induced reorientation of Al–VTi–Al dipoles has been developed to explain the observed relaxation, resolving the controversy concerning the relaxation peak at 1050 K present in many γ-TiAl-based alloys. Precipitation of the γ-lamellae has also been considered as being responsible for the dynamic modulus hardening and, additionally, for another contribution to the internal friction at higher temperature than the described relaxation. Finally, the theoretical Debye equations as a function of temperature, for both internal friction and dynamic modulus, have been applied, using the measured activation parameters, to perform a deconvolution of the relaxation and precipitation contributions. The obtained results agree well with the experimental ones at different frequencies, allowing a global interpretation of the involved atomic processes.