Stress-introduced alpha '' martensite and twinning in a multifunctional titanium alloy

Previous investigations have shown that Gum Metal with body-centered cubic crystal structure needs to be free of dislocations, phase transformation and twinning during elastic and plastic deformation in order to achieve its multifunctional properties. This paper reports that such properties can also be exhibited in an alloy containing small amounts of pre-existing alpha martensite produced by cold compression. Both deformation twins and isothermal omega phase were observed in the alloy even after a short period of aging at 300 degrees C. (C) 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.