In Situ SEM Investigation of Deformation Processes and Fracture Behavior in Bimodal Ti-6Al-3Nb-2Zr-1Mo Alloy.

The deformation mechanism, crack initiation, propagation and fracture behavior of a new near-α titanium alloy Ti80 (Ti-6Al-3Nb-2Zr-1Mo) with a bimodal microstructure consisting of primary α (α_p) grains and transformed β (β_trans) matrix is systematically investigated by in situ tensile testing in SEM. The results show that α_p preferentially undergoes plastic deformation (single slip) in the early stage of deformation. As the deformation continues, the crack nucleates in the hard-to-deform region near the U-shaped notch, and then advances through α_p to form small cracks, which tend to initiate at the α_p/β_trans interface and slip bands region. However, slip transfer occurs between some α_p and adjacent β_trans, and multi-slip or cross-slip is generated in α_p, which plays a role in coordinating the inhomogeneity of local plastic deformation and delaying crack initiation. In the crack propagation stage, the main crack and microcracks are connected to promote crack growth. The crack tends to propagate along the α_p/β_trans interface or slip bands inside α_p. The α_p boundaries play the role of deflecting the crack propagation direction. However, a relatively flat crack path is formed from a macroscopic point of view due to the small particle size of α_p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]