Enhanced yield stress and reduced elastic modulus of metastable β Ti–Nb alloys deformed by equal channel angular pressing attributed to the Synergistic effect of deformation mechanisms

Abstract

This work aims to obtain Ti–Nb alloys with a high yield stress, good plasticity, and low elastic modulus. To this end, metastable β Ti–Nb alloys were subjected to multipass equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) deformation at room temperature, and a thorough investigation of their microstructure evolution, deformation mechanisms, and strengthening/toughening mechanisms was conducted through X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and tensile tests. In the initial deformation stages, multiple deformation mechanisms are observed, including dislocation slip, {332} <113> twinning, stress-induced martensite (SIM) α″-phase, {112} <111> twinning, and stress-induced ω-phase. However, as the strain accumulates, the ω-phase disappears, the volume fraction of the SIM α″-phase gradually decreases, and the dominant deformation mechanism changes to dislocation slip and {332} <113> twinning. The ECAP deformation results in a complex-network microstructure and the precipitation of the nanoscale SIM α″-phase, which leads to the twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) and transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effects. As a consequence, the Ti–Nb alloy simultaneously exhibits a high yield stress and a good plasticity. Furthermore, the high-density dislocations and interfaces generated by the ECAP deformation reduce the stability of the β-phase, and the introduced nanopores cause a decrease in density, resulting in a decrease in the elastic modulus of the alloy.