Texture inheritance and variant selection through an hcp–bcc–hcp phase transformation

In situ phase transformation experiments have been carried out using neutron diffraction to monitor the texture evolution during the α → β → α phase transformation in a common zirconium alloy. In contrast to recently reported results by other authors, there is clear evidence of a strong variant selection occurring during the α → β transformation and a weaker variant selection during the β → α transformation. Modeling of the texture change associated with the phase transformation has been successful in describing the variant selection occurring during the α → β transformation, and gives insights into the selection occurring during the β → α transformation. The results are relevant to processing of both zirconium and titanium.