The Zircobase thermodynamic database for zirconium alloys coupled with Thermo-Calc software represents a powerful tool for prediction of thermodynamic and metallurgical data such as activities, formation enthalpies, phase transformation temperatures, solubility limits, existence temperature range, and chemical compositions of second phase precipitates. This database was built up with binary and ternary descriptions assessed according to the CALPHAD methodology. It is sometimes necessary to take into account new systems, but also new versions of binary descriptions as recently experienced. For example, the two binary systems Zr-Fe and Zr-Sn had to be updated in order to fit new experimental results believed to be more accurate than previously available. This paper aims at showing the improvements of the database taking into account new descriptions of binary systems, as also ternary description such as Zr-Fe-Cr, Zr-Fe-Ni, and Zr-Nb-Fe. For this last ternary system, new experimental data were necessary. New experimental study of the two ternary phases, hexagonal Zr(Nb,Fe)2 and cubic (Zr,Nb)4Fe2, allowed their crystal structures (P63/mmc and Fd3¯m, respectively) to be checked. This was useful to build up a sublattice model giving account of the existence of a composition range for these two intermetallic phases. Moreover, several specific ZrNbFe alloys were fabricated and annealed for times ranging from 1000 h to 10,000 h at 550, 700, 800, and 900°C to determine the equilibrium binary and ternary phase domains as a function of the temperature. All these data were used to obtain an improved thermodynamic modelling of this system. Finally, we illustrate some thermodynamic predictions of the different phases evolutions as a function of the temperature on multi-alloyed industrial type alloys. These examples show quite good agreement between the thermodynamic predictions and the experimental data derived from calorimetric experiments and microstructural observations.

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Triggering transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) and twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) mechanisms in metastable β titanium alloys (bcc, body centered cubic) have helped reaching unprecedented mechanical properties for Ti-alloys, including high ductility and work-hardening. Yet the yield strength of such alloys generally remains rather low. So far, mostly single-phase metastable bcc alloys have been developed. In this study, a dual phase TRIP/TWIP alloy is designed and investigated. While the β-matrix is expected to display TRIP/TWIP deformation mechanisms, the addition of a second phase, α in the present study, aims at increasing the yield strength. The composition was designed in the Ti-Cr-Sn system, based on Calphad prediction and on the semi-empirical d-electron alloy design approach. Results were compared to the published full β Ti – 8.5Cr – 1.5Sn (wt%) TRIP/TWIP alloy. The dual-phase alloy was prepared and processed to reach the desired microstructure containing about 20% α. It displays remarkable mechanical properties such as a ductility of 29%, an ultimate tensile strength of 1200 MPa and a yield strength of 760 MPa, 200MPa higher than the Reference single-phase β alloy. Analysis of the mechanical properties and deformation microstructures confirm the TRIP and TWIP effects, validating the proposed approach.

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