Comparison of the Microstructure, Tensile, and Creep Behavior for Ti-22Al-26Nb (At. Pct) and Ti-22Al-26Nb-5B (At. Pct)

The effect of the addition of 5 at. pct boron on the microstructure and creep behavior of a nominally Ti-22Al-26Nb (at. pct) alloy was investigated. The boron-modified alloy contained boride needles enriched in titanium and niobium, and because to these borides, this material was considered to be a discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composite. These needle-shaped borides made up to 2 pct of the volume and were up to 158-μm long and 22-μm wide. The effect of boron on the mechanical properties was evaluated through in-situ creep testing and tensile testing at room temperature (RT) and 650 °C. Overall, the addition of 5 at. pct boron proved to be detrimental to the tensile and creep behavior. The composite exhibited a brittle failure and lower elongations-to-failure than the monolithic material. The in-situ tensile and creep experiments revealed that the deformation process initiated in the boride needles, which cracked extensively, and significantly greater primary creep strains and creep rates were exhibited by the composite.

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