The discontinuous precipitation (DP) belongs to a group of diffusive solid state phase transformations during which the formation of a new phase is heterogeneous and limited to a migrating reaction front (RF). The use of analytical electron microscopy provided reliable information that there is no differences in the diffusion rate at the stationary grain boundary and moving RF of DP reaction. On the other hand, the use of “in situ” transmission electron microscopy observations indicated the importance of stop-go motion or oscillatory movement of the RF.During 2004-2016 period more or less 280 papers were published in which the terms “discontinuous precipitation, “cellular precipitation”, discontinuous coarsening” appeared either in the abstract or in key-words.In the present contribution, the research on the DP reaction will be reviewed taking into account new aspects of theories and modelling, new evidences and findings, effect of various factors including third element, external stresses, plastic deformation and GB orientation, occurrence in less known systems and alloys like: superalloys, nitrided Fe-based alloys and Cu-based alloys. Finally, some suggestions for the future research will be formulated.

The microstructure and properties of titanium-based alloys can be tailored using severe plastic deformation. The structure and microhardness of Ti–4 wt.% Co alloy have been studied after preliminary annealing and following high pressure torsion (HPT). The Ti–4 wt.% Co alloy has been annealed at 400, 500, and 600 °C, i.e., below the temperature of eutectoid transformation in the Ti–4 wt.% Co system. The amount of Co dissolved in α-Ti increased with increasing annealing temperature. HPT led to the transformation of α-Ti in ω-Ti. After HPT, the amount of ω-phase in the sample annealed at 400 °C was about 80­85%, i.e., higher than in pure titanium (about 40%). However, with increasing temperature of pre-annealing, the portion of ω-phase decreased (60–65% at 500 °C and about 5% at 600 °C). The microhardness of all investigated samples increased with increasing temperature of pre-annealing.

The aim of this work was to study the influence of severe plastic deformation (SPD) on the dissolution of silver particles in Cu–8wt.%Ag alloys. In order to obtain different morphologies of silver particles, samples were annealed at 400, 500 and 600 °C. Subsequently, the material was subjected to high pressure torsion (HPT) at room temperature. By means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy, as well as X-ray diffraction techniques, it was found that during SPD, the dissolution of second phase was strongly affected by the morphology and volume fraction of the precipitates in the initial state. Small, heterogeneous precipitates of irregular shape dissolved more easily than those of large size, round-shaped and uniform composition. It was also found that HPT led to the increase of solubility limit of silver in the copper matrix as the result of dissolution of the second phase. This unusual phase transition is discussed with respect to diffusion activation energy and mixing enthalpy of the alloying elements.