Deformation-phases-strength interaction in ß-Ti alloys

Near beta titanium alloys are promising materials for structural applications due to their high specific strength, good hardenability, and good fatigue behaviour. The high performance of these alloys is mainly depending on the type of microstructure, which can be engineered by thermomechanical processing. Based on the assumption that the beta stabilizer elements affect the phase transformation and the plastic deformation, the description of the deformation behaviour and subsequent microstructural changes by thermal activation in binary Ti-Mo alloys with different Mo content is still unclear. The project aims to the analysis and detailed description of deformation mechanisms operating at moderate and large plastic deformations at high temperatures and the effect on subsequent heat treatments in selected near beta alloys from the Ti-Mo system. Hot compression and torsion experiments are used to deform the microstructure in a wide range of temperature, strain, and strain rate. The characterization of the microstructural features during hot deformation will contribute to analyse the effect of the deformation on the phase transformation kinetics. The development and improvement of microstructure-based mesoscale models for near beta titanium alloys will describe the behaviour of the material under plastic deformation, restoration, and phase transformation. This bilateral international basic research project will be possible due to the large experience of Czechs and Austrian partners in hot deformation and phase transformations in titanium alloys. Our contribution will not only be focused on the technical objectives, but also on the formation of young researchers in the field of materials science and their integration into our vast scientific network.