Effects of hydrogen on the critical conditions for dynamic recrystallization of titanium alloy during hot deformation

Hot deformation tests were performed to study the flow behavior and microstructural evolution of a Ti600 titanium alloy with different hydrogen contents. The effects of hydrogen on the critical conditions for the initiation of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) were investigated. The DRX kinetics models of hydrogenated Ti600 alloy were developed, and the DRX volume fractions were quantified under different deformation conditions. The results indicate that the addition of proper hydrogen (no greater than 0.3 pct) benefits the decrease of both the critical stress and critical strain for the initiation of DRX. The critical stress and critical strain are dependent linearly on the peak stress and the strain to peak stress, respectively. The strain range from the initiation to the completion of DRX increases gradually with hydrogen in the hydrogen range of 0 to 0.3 pct, and a slightly decreased strain range is observed at the hydrogen content of 0.5 pct relative to that of 0.3 pct. The addition of large amounts of hydrogen (0.3 pct or greater) in Ti600 alloy induces incomplete DRX during hot deformation.