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The results on thermal stability of the microstructure and mechanical properties of Zr – 1 wt.% Nb and Ti – 45 wt.% Nb ultrafine-grained alloys subjected to long-term thermal annealing at a temperature of 400°С are presented. It is shown that in a Zr – 1 wt.% Nb ultrafine-grained alloy an increase in the annealing duration from 5 to 360 hr leads to a growth of the structural elements (grains, subgrains, fragments) of the α-Zr matrix phase and β-Nb particles. This is a consequence of the recrystallization processes, which gives rise to softening of the alloy and a decrease in their microhardness and yield stress. It is found out that an annealing treatment for as long as 360 hr does not affect the structural element size of β-phase in the Ti – 45 wt.% Nb alloy but favors a noticeable grain growth in α- and ω-phases. It is demonstrated that disordering of the Ti – 45 wt.% Nb alloy and a decrease in its mechanical characteristics are due to the recovery processes at the grain boundaries, an increase in the nanosized grains of α- and- ω-phases, and their decreased contribution to dispersion hardening.

The stage-like character of the stress-strain curves and microstructure in the fracture zone of coarse-grained and ultrafine-grained specimens of the VT1-0 and Zr–1Nb alloy specimens under quasistatic loading are investigated using the temperature curves obtained by the method of IR-imaging. New experimental data are obtained, which provide evidence on a considerable influence of the ultrafine-grained state on the evolution of plastic deformation and fracture in the VT1-0 and Zr–1Nb alloys.

The results of investigation of the influence of the structural element size and phase state of the Ti – 45 wt.% Nb and Zr – 1 wt.% Nb binary alloys on their mechanical properties are presented. The structural states of the alloys with the structural elements of different dimensions were formed from the ultrafine-grained state via annealing. The curves of dependence of the yield strength and microhardness on the average size of the structural elements, d –1/2, are obtained using the Hall–Petch relation. It is shown that for the Zr – 1 wt.% Nb alloy, the Hall–Petch relation is fulfilled in the entire range of sizes under study, from ultrafine-grained to finegrained states 0.2–1.9 μm. For the Ti – 45 wt.% Nb alloy, in the analysis of the Hall–Petch relationship within the structural element size range 0.43–45 μm, its phase composition is taken into consideration, specifically, the presence of dispersion-strengthened β-phase grains, α-phase subgrains, nonequilibrium nanosized ω- phase, and the bimodal grain-subgrain structure.

The characteristics of microstructure, deformation and fracture of Zr – 1 wt% Nb and Ti – 45 wt% Nb bioinert alloys in the coarse- and ultrafine-grained states are investigated. It is shown that the ultrafine-grained structure formed in them ensures excellent mechanical properties of the alloys and affects the stages of the stress-strain curves and the behavior of the maximum temperature vs. deformation time plot. The formation of an α-phase in the Ti – 45 wt% Nb ultrafine-grained alloy suppresses the linear stage VI characterized by a constant strain hardening coefficient. In stage VII, the strain hardening coefficient rapidly becomes negative, which indicates the material softening prior to its failure.

Phase composition and microstructure of Ti–Nb alloy produced from the composite titanium and niobium powder by selective laser melting (SLM) method were studied in the present research. Ti-Nb alloy produced by SLM is a monolayer and has zones of fine-grained and medium-grained structure with homogenous elemental composition within the range of 36–38 wt.% Nb. Phase state of the alloy corresponds to the main phase of β- solid solution (grain size of 5–7 μm) and non-equilibrium martensite α″-phase (grain size of 0.1–0.7 μm). Grains of the α″-phase are localized along the boundaries of β-phase grains and have a reduced content of niobium. Microhardness of the alloy varies within the range of 4200–5500 MPa.