Deformation Mechanisms Associated with Annealed Structures in a Ti-24Al-Nb Alloy

Crystallographic and chemical analysis of the microstructures obtained by annealing a heavily deformed Ti-24Al-11 Nb alloy have been performed. The influence of the niobium distribution within the different phases present and the variation of degree of long range order caused by this distribution have been related to the deformation mechanisms leading to strain hardening at the early stages of deformation. In particular, slip band formation and twinning have been observed to occur within the (α2 phase according to the different degree of order measured.