Influence of trace boron addition on the directional solidification characteristics of Ti–6Al–4V

Trace boron addition to several titanium alloys results in a reduction in the as-cast grain size by an order of magnitude. TiB needles are observed along the prior beta grain boundaries and not the grain interior in these alloys, indicating that TiB needles are not sites for the heterogeneous nucleation of beta grains. This study seeks to understand the influence of the growth rate R on microstructure evolution and grain refinement in Ti–6Al–4V–0.1B alloy using directional solidification experiments and microstructural characterization.