Stress-induced martensitic transformation in a β-solution treated Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al alloy during compressive deformation

Abstract In this study, a β solution treated Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al (Ti-1023) alloy was compressed at room temperature to analyze the compressive deformation behavior. Microstructure evaluation induced by compressive deformation was investigated systematically using XRD, EBSD and TEM techniques. The results showed that stress-induced martensitic transformation was dominant at all the compressive deformation with a strain rate ranging from 10-4 s-1 to 10-1 s-1, leading to the three stages in work hardening behavior. With increasing strain rate, the increment of work hardening rate at stage II showed a downward trend. Compared with tensile deformation, stress-induced martensitic transformation during compressive deformation showed an asymmetry and lower triggering stress. In addition, {111}α″ twinning and kinking structure were found in the interior of α″ martensite at a low strain. As the strain increased, the primary α″ martensite was sheared into a smaller and parallel distributed α″ blocks, and the kinked α″ martensite was mechanically twinned on {110}α″ twinning, both of which were novel deformation mechanisms of α″ martensite.