Three-dimensional microtomographic study of Widmanstätten microstructures in an alpha/beta titanium alloy

A beta-quenched titanium alloy was studied by means of microtomography. This technique provides three-dimensional (3D) representations of the microstructure. It appears that the colonies have non-convex shapes and form an intricate aggregate. An algorithm of 3D image segmentation based on the orientation of the lamellae is presented. Its results are in agreement with those derived from a manual segmentation method, and allow the colonies to be examined individually. Further perspectives on the basis of this experiment are outlined.